To Love Enterra: Searching the Darkness
by JadenTheFangirl
Summary: Continuation of To Love Enterra: Waking the Serpent. The stakes have been raised, and more mysteries and questions are turning up, faster than answers can be found. And enemies seem to be popping up at every turn. What is the source of this growing chaos, and how many hands are involved? And what fate do those hands weave? Is it a fate the Enterran's can survive one last time?
1. Ep1-What's Become of Us

**Me: And here we are, back again—going to start off this story with the usual, I do not own the series Mushrambo/Shinzo, nor do I own the plot or characters. I only use them to amuse myself for zero profit.  
Mushra: Which is stupid. If you actually got fans like you did on the old one, you could make money off this stuff.  
Me: Well, for one thing, it's illegal, and for another, this is for ENJOYMENT, not profit. I'm not so cheap as to twist childhood stories that are near and dear to my heart into something to earn money.  
Mushra:…Unless you can make it into a published work, about some anti-hero.  
Me: ….Stop looking through my computer, twerp. Anyways, WE ARE BACK. Immediately following the end of To Love Enterra: Waking the Serpent, we find the group reeling from the hell they were just put through, and trying to find the answers. New characters ahead, and the plot will be getting more and more intense as we go. Hope you guys are ready (and if you're readers of my previous version, hope you like the new turns and twists)! Enjoy, review, READ ON!  
**

Chapter 1-What's Become of Us

The great interrogation and judgment room was empty, and had been so for many months now, as there had been no use for it. It was a wide room that seemed to resemble a small scale auditorium to some extent; a door to the left of the 'stage', and one to the back of the many rows of chairs. In the middle of the stage was a chair set with chains coming from the ground, ready to be bound around the one sitting—and the chair was barely that, more a metal stool.

And currently seated on the stool was a very fidgety Dr. Parasite, with Mushra pacing slowly in front of him with folded arms. The doctor was unable to move other than his head, or from side to side. He was wrapped in chains around his torso, chain and cuffs clamped on his wrists and feet as well. He never looked the fire Enterran in the eye, though his eyes kept almost wandering up, before casting back downward.

Mushra's body was tense in its movement. A warrior holding back his fight. His restraint was more unnerving to the bug Enterran than his actual attacks had been.

They'd been there some minutes since Mushra had had Kutaal chain the doctor up. And it was then that the silence was broken by more than breath and footsteps.

"I'm going to ask you questions, doctor, and let's just say, you'd be smart to answer them after everything you've done." He told the doctor and stopped his pacing. His hands fell to his sides, fists balled up.

Parasite still didn't look up, though he made a small whimpered noise.

"What could have possibly brought you to think your little experiments were a good idea, turning Earth humans into Enterrans?" he began. His tone was as terse as his body was tense. All he could think was this scientist had put his friends in the worst situation; he had put them through hell. Where once he thought maybe he could send them home, find a way to block the portal, he now felt they had no chance for that. They were stuck in his world, not completely fitting, but certainly unable to find a place in their old world now. "How long have you been working to do this? Months? A year? How long were you after them?"

Parasite said nothing, seeming to put all his energy into ignoring the Enterran warrior.

Even so, Mushra pushed on. "Why were you helping Ryuma? Are you working for any other Generals, or were your loyalties only to him?" When the bug still didn't answer, Mushra moved a few steps closer, making him fidget more. "What do you know about us…?"

That almost made Parasite look up, but his eyes never rose past the height of Mushra's hip.

"What did Ryuma know of us? He seemed to know more than our reputation…" Mushra accused, as that question had been aching in his head since the moment Ryuma first tried to kidnap the girls; in this timeline, they'd never even crossed into Zortown, much less crossed his path. And yet somehow, he seemed familiar of them, and their past, to a degree.

But still, he earned nothing from Dr. Parasite. It was working on Mushra's patience, which despite him maturing over the years, was not much better.

"What were you thinking going after those women?" he almost barks this time, taking another step toward Parasite. If he took one more step, he'd be touching toes with Parasite's chained foot. "What madness could have struck you to make you think taking them, OUR friends, was in any way a GOOD IDEA?!"

Before Mushra even finished, though, a noise began erupting from Dr. Parasite—something between a whimper and yelp of excitement and joy. It turned into strange, short laughter, and finally his eyes rose to meet Mushra's. They were wide and thrilled, and it just set Mushra on edge, his skin crawling in a way that reminded him of this creeps' maggots.

"This has been my dream, boy, and I could not wait any longer!" he began excitedly, and he spoke in a rush, sputtering half of what he said at times. "Those humans—Earthlings from twenty or so years ago, they were the first, and terrible wastes of ingredients. Guided by some silly legends, they managed creation of a portal. Oh, I would have marveled on how they did so if I wasn't so distracted—so very curious… They arrived just in time, though. I was just birthing my theory, just nurturing the scientific practice for that dream. And there they were!"

"Humans…from Earth…" Mushra muttered thoughtfully, glaring Parasite down as he spoke, and trying to think of what humans Parasite meant—he faintly remembered a story the girls had told them to explain the portal when they went to old Enterra one of the first times.

"They asked for help, some sickness was striking their home and they couldn't handle it themselves. They begged for my help, thought I was some disfigured angel from their legends. And I provided it. They were under the assumption it would take time, and I let them think it—such fools, such fools, ehehe! I observed their dead and managed a cure in a matter of days! Just as insurance… But they didn't know that…" he chuckled, and the more Mushra watched him, the scientist seemed as if he truly must have been growing mad over the years. This enjoyment, excitement, was beyond normalcy or sanity.

"Their virus was already being cured in the Old Enterra, but I made them think I was still working out their salvation. Fooled them well, I did, as I was able to use them to develop and test my experiments! Told them, 'It must come from you! Salvation will come from you, once I give you this power!' Fools, fools, fools," he repeated under his breath, "I worked on every one of them. All failed! All of them. One of them had small ones, of course, and I saw another chance."

"You experimented on children?!" Mushra cut him off in a rage, reaching for the color of the doctor's coat, pulling him against the chains.

"Made me promise, the mother did, and I did promise, but not the promise she thought, ehaha, haha! She wanted them cured, wanted them safe, thought they were still sick. One of them was, too far gone—didn't last through the trails. Not even a week. But the other two…" he spoke almost fondly, before sadly. It unnerved Mushra as he knew the sadness was not for any care of the children, but for his unholy experiments. "Their trials, I took my time. Their parents couldn't last the normal paced trails, so I had to adjust. I had to, ingredients had to be reacquired. They all did.

"Those little ones had such promise, and then they ran! Damn little fools!"

"They escaped?" Mushra's brows furrowed.

"Barely reached their age of ten and they wanted to be free, after all I was doing for them! I took them out as I always did, to feed them, and they'd broken free, with the gifts I'd given them, they used them against me!"

Mushra let go of his collar, the doctor knocking around on the stool as he dropped back down. "Serves you right…"

Parasite gave a hmph and continued. "Ran, and I searched far and wide, but never found them again—wouldn't be surprised if they died out on their own. That girl would have lasted longer, the boy was too fragile, even _if_ he endured better than his younger brother.

"New subjects; I had to find new ones, but I didn't trust wandering into their world alone. Unbearable world that it was… I waited, hoping another would come through. And my king had kept me busy for some years doing his pitiful work, until I'd had enough. And then…those angels arrived…" he spoke of the girls in a dreamy tone, and Mushra resisted the urge to kick him. "It wasn't long before that, that I was sought out by Lord Ryuma. He said his alchemist was in need of my science. Took some convincing, but when Ungar started sputtering his visions, oooh, it was too interesting to pass up!"

"Visions—what were the visions about?" Mushra stopped him there, crossing his arms again. "Tell me about what he saw."

"You, of course. You and your friends, present and deceased." Such a careless statement had Mushra curling his fists, but the doctor kept on. "The reptile King was obsessed; he watched them over and over once Ungar managed to shed them into a Seer bowl. I barely saw anything but glimpses, oh how I wanted to see more—it seemed as if it were something other than truth, to me, and yet it was so real. Ryuma was in denial, but the more he watched it, that denial became determination. You really did him wrong, whatever that time or place was, didn't you?" he cackled.

"He brought it on himself, and apparently was doomed to repeat that fate." Mushra said through gritted teeth, remembering what Ryuma tried to put Yakumo through. "Continue, now. There was a reason you were helping him."

"Ungar." He stated. "The magic one found jewels, ones that could hold power, and I decided I would try, if only to get my hands on them—they were the key! I'd found some of my own before as I learned form my mistakes, but those jewels, they were imbued so much more gracefully—they could hold much greater power! And it gave me a chance to test how far my machines could go."

"Turning us to kids—that was just a test of length?"

"For me, yes—Ungar chose the specifics, and once I figured how strong an example it could set for my research, I agreed. They had their own reasons—weakening you all, and the like."

"So you had no reason other than your stupid experiments to be involved with them?"

"Stupid? STUPID?! My work is genius, I tell you! I have strove to create what the humans that began us failed to realize they could have done!" he exclaimed, his passion bursting from him now, making Mushra take a step back. "They created other beings, when they could have empowered themselves!"

"And then you never would have been." Mushra pointed out, but his words were over looked.

"They could have been something glorious! Imagine! Your water friend and his dragon nature, and even you! Ultra Hyper form gives you wings! Imagine, the gracefully powerful force that would have been had the Earthlings empowered themselves instead of created a race to save them! It has to be my purpose! When that girl came through, I took her in—I could not get to your friends just yet, and I had to be sure, I couldn't fail with them. And she passed the first few trials—I knew then, as I did my work and aided Ryuma, that I could do it! I just had to wait to get them!"

"And why them?!" Mushra demanded, moving forward again.

"Why them!? After all Ryuma told me?! Their knowledge, gifted somehow! And their connection to you, Enterran's who have defied timelines—you boys are something great, beyond any others, especially you…and those girls, in smaller but still spectacular ways, they are as well! Think of the glorious new race my beautiful hybrids and you men could create through breeding!"

Rage was obvious on his face from the redness that grew to color it, and he was at his breaking point.

"I have every intention of bringing that race to fruition, boy, eheha! My girls, my children, will be the mothers of a new beginning upon Enterra!"

Mushra scoffed, sounding angry, and he moved behind Parasite as the bug Enterran continued. He worked at the chains, undoing them as he was tired of listening to this bug.

"Scoff as you wish! They are mine! I injected them, fool! A potion formed of my science and Ungar's alchemy; we made it as a failsafe to use upon the three of you men if you could possibly break free of our intentions for you! They will obey my every whim and will and there's nothing to be done! I am their creator!"

Mushra tore him from most of the chains the chains and pushed him to the ground as he stood over him, holding a single chain that connected to Parasite's ankle.

"You are not their creator. You're just a mad-man."

I I I

Kutaal wandered carefully through his living-room with a look of worry unshakable on his face. He came back and forth with plates and bowls; bowls to the men, who were hungry, and plates for the women who were beyond such. Their bodies ached in too many ways to count, and no ways to describe as of yet.

They'd been back to the apartment for half a day now, and they'd said nothing. They'd barely even made eye contact, much less any physical contact other than sitting closely together amongst themselves. The four women were like neglected, homeless animals; they looked beaten, wounded, and neglected. They looked wild, and unlike themselves. No one knew what to do, other than Kutaal to bring them food, and Sago or Xavier offering water, or asking them questions.

None of them had spoken. They were either silent or full in the mouth when they would begin eating. Together, they'd cleaned 13 plates of varied food, and downed too many glasses of water to count. Kutaal had come to take their most recently cleaned plates to the kitchen then. He went over to Sago, his eyes mostly on them as he spoke low and careful.

"Should I cook another meal…? I have plenty more that can be fixed…" he offered.

Sago watched them as well, blue brows furrowed under his bangs. "…Hold off for now. I know their probably malnourished…and their bodies might be telling them to eat after what they've been through, but they'll hurt themselves if they eat too much, too soon… Let's just wait until they are looking or asking for it…"

Kutaal nodded sadly and, shoulders low, returned to the kitchen.

"…It's like…they're not even here…" Xavier commented as he stared, mainly at Winter; she, like her sister, were now more noticeably different. Tan color over her eye-lids and temples, her hair longer. There was a tired but wild look in her eyes, like with the other three. Her nails were noticeably different; where once they were normal, they were now thinner, and seemed somewhat retractable, as was Jaden's and the stranger girls.

Jaden's hair had somehow become red—there was still traces of brown, in tints and in some of the roots, but most of the strands seemed to have become a deep red. Even the shaved strands. Her canines, as well as Winter's and the other woman's, seemed a little more pronounced—Sago had wondered when he spotted them while they were eating, if they retracted as well.

Heather looked the most wild, like an aggravated predator trying to ease back into calm over and over, but she never got there. The red in her brown eyes seemed more prominent now, her glasses lost to her.

The strange woman they just found as a stranger. They did not know whether the whitened strands were natural, or if the paleness was her skin tone or her current state. If the vibrant blue of her eyes was power surging. The claws were surely unnatural, as for the teeth. But they took notice of the clothes, and how UnEnterran they were.

The two of them did their best not to stare at the wounds, whether to avoid being rude, or to prevent themselves from becoming very angry.

"They are." Sago responded to Xavier's statement, dropping his gaze when some of the girls started turning their shoulders on the two of them.

"Shouldn't we be speaking to them, finding out what happened?"

Sago sighed and looked at Xavier. "After everything they've been through, they need as much time to just RECOVER as they can, and you want to interrogate them?" he narrowed his gaze at the other Enterran, remembering how almost…irritable Xavier had been from the moment the girls had been taken by the bugs. "What the hell is your problem?"

Xavier glared back at that, very quickly defensive. "Nothing's my problem."

"That's a lie."

"Is it, water boy?" Xavier asked, his tone taunting and irritable. Almost tired of something.

Sago's jaw clenched as he watched him. Sure, he didn't know this Enterran as well as Mushra, or even Kutaal or he'd known for less time than Mushra. But he'd grown to respect and trust him. The respect had started dwindling the moment they set off after the girls. "Yes. It is. As I discern, from the vibe coming from you, that you have wanted to be anywhere but with us or the girls since we returned from Ryuma's palace."

Xavier clinched a fist. "Don't question me."

The earth Enterran stood then, and began heading for the door, just as it opened and Mushra stood in the doorway.

"Xavier—good, you, everyone, outside. We've got something to discuss." He stated, his tone louder than the hushed one's the other two had been speaking in, and the girls took notice, glancing briefly his way.

"What?" Xavier asked, still standing in the doorway, but Sago was heading to it; even Kutaal, who must have caught Mushra's voice in the kitchen, came out to do as Mushra said.

"What punishment to give Dr. Parasite." Mushra stated, and headed back out into the dirt and stone pathway between the buildings.

Xavier followed first, but surprisingly, the women sprang into movement after him. They weren't even following, exactly. But after Mushra said Parasite, they seemed to come to attention, turning, crawling, standing and heading out to meet them. Sago followed, keeping his eyes on them, with Kutaal just behind them.

They group found the bug Enterran watching the ground, bound by a chain and standing by Mushra, who began to speak as the lot of them grouped before him.

"He has no regret for his actions. And the girls weren't his only victims. They're just more of a 'success'. He intended to use them as nothing but lab-rats; the beginnings of some stupid race."

"Stupid, again, stupid?" Parasite muttered under his breath, but not any louder.

"He planned to use them without care, consideration, or consent, and nothing more." Mushra glared him down.

"Blatant disregard for others, and dark acts without reason, against warriors and innocents." Sago observed, glaring him down as well. He crossed his arms through his cloak. "His punishment may be close to that of Ryuma's… Xavier, Kutaal?"

Xavier was silent, just watching the bug Enterran with disregard, considering.

"He should surely pay for his crimes, the fiend!" Kutaal stated angrily.

The men spoke, considering putting him into some sort of service, or locking him away, or really considering Sago's comment of the punishment needing to be like that of Ryuma's. But the girls barely registered any of their words, now or before. They watched Parasite in turns as if he was an enemy, a threat that they were trying to consider whether or not to flee from. Sometimes they had to look away, as if it hurt to watch him, but eventually glaring gazes would find him again.

That's when he raised his gaze, spotted them, and smiled.

And that smile seemed to set them all off. Their eyes grew wide, their body language changed, and they started to separate from their grouped positions. Mushra, in the midst of speaking, noticed and cut off speaking. Their eyes were wilder than ever, but they were zeroed in. Sago, after Mushra cut off, followed his gaze, and the rest of them took notice.

Mushra took a step forward. "Heather…Jaden, guys…it's alright…" he began speaking. He looked to Parasite, who was smiling…and who began opening his hands as if to beckon them. And he feared whether what Parasite said, about what he injected them with for control, was true. "Guys—"

That's when he noticed their extending claws. He barely gets out, "Wait!" before they four of them launched after him with sudden unbelievable speed.

But it wasn't Mushra they were after. They were after Parasite, he realized, as the chain slipped from his grasp from the doctor yanking free to make his escape. The girls moved with inhuman speed that they never possessed before, and with fire in their eyes. The doctor squealed in fear, and for all his energy he put into his feet, his little body didn't bring him far enough fast enough.

And then sound burst from the girls, in angry screeches.

"YOU CUT US UP!" Jaden yelled and it was like a growl. She slashed at the air, fire slashing at him in claw strikes, knocking him forward and burning his back.

"YOU BROKE US DOWN!" Winter exclaimed, pained and angered, a blast of ice and frost seemed to burst from her chest and travel through her arm to blast after him, catching Parasite and freezing some of his limbs to the ground.

"YOU TORE US, STABBED, TWISTED!" Heather growled, and sent a blast of black and purple energy that hit him in the side, which broke him from the ice and sent him rolling. The three of them tackled him; they were attacking, clawing, kicking him, until Alex came up behind them. They parted as Winter pushed them aside. She nodded to the other woman, taking in deep breaths.

She stared down the whimpering Enterran, who was trying to crawl away. She walked calmly after him. She exactly embodied calm before a storm. Finally, she leapt at him, as fast as a lightning strike. Now curled over him, she grasped his collar.

"You took me, stole me, and broke me apart….you deserve everything you get." Alex growled down at him with absolute hate, raising a hand that was sparking, before she brought it down upon him.

With that blast, he was no more that his card. Glaring, Alex backed away from it in disgust.

The men had been too late and too unwilling to try and stop them before, and would have settled now that the disgusting doctor was nothing more than a card. But as Sago saw Jaden stalking towards the card with her claws extended, he sprang into action. Just as she kicked up the card to twirl in the air, she was about to slash it when a cool hand caught her wrist to stop her.

She looked to Sago, growling and balling her clawed fist, when she saw the look on his face, and in his eyes. All the raging fire she felt inside her, and the cool touch burning in her hand, seemed to weaken as she watched him. And she watched him in a strange trance. She was still defensive, hate within her, but she did nothing else, as if he'd stopped something that she couldn't muster the energy to try again. Sago was just thankful he stopped her before she went too far. She was so different…so hurt and vengeful, he almost regretted stopping her. But he knew it was right.

The other men came forward, a bit cautiously, but the girls were slowly reacting to their presence. Winter gravitated toward Xavier slowly but surely, until finally reaching him and laying into his chest, burying her face as he wrapped his arms around her. Sago picked up the card, passing Mushra as he told him, "I'm taking this to put it in Hakuba. Keep an eye on them…"

Mushra nodded as his friend left. He looked to each of them, Jaden near Winter, but still distant. Heather wasn't far from her, and Alex was furthest from everyone, staring at the ground where the card previously was. He took a step towards Heather then, ducking his head, hoping to catch her gaze, but her eyes looked glazed, like the life and fire their rage had brought to them had all-but vanished.

"Hey…Heather…?" he reached a hand to carefully touch her shoulder. When he did, she looked to his hand, and barely followed the path of his forearm. He gave a weak smile. "…Nothing to say to your favorite hot-head..?"

At that, there was a flicker of smile, and though it didn't last, it gave Mushra some hope.

Sago returned not long after. "His card is stored…. Now that he's dealt with… Girls…" he spoke to them, and they barely looked to him. "I'm sorry, for everything you all have gone through. But it will get better. You're all safe now. We all are, now that we're together…" He tried to speak comfort, but he almost felt it was useless.

None of them said anything, until Jaden slowly looked up towards him. He raised his brows, hopeful, but the look she had seemed fearful and worried.

She raised her clawed hand, looking to it with her brows furrowed in anger and fear, and then back to Sago.

"What are we now…?"

 **Mushra: Sago should have let you slice him.  
Me: maybe so, who knows—we might get a chance later.  
Mushra: later shmater, they creep needs to go down, and never get up again…  
Me: Yeah, we'll see how that works. Let me know what you think, and look for the next chapter soon!**


	2. Ep2-The Next Step Is Ahead

**Me: finally, chapter again! So sorry, life is cruel, and write in turn becomes crueler.  
Mushra: stop being dramatic, just say you got busy.  
Me: well…not got busy, got preoccupied.  
Mushra: …*facepalm*  
Me: even if it was a wait, hopefully the chapter makes up for it. I hope you all enjoy! Also, for the changes in POV, I will continue to seperate with - I I I - to indicate changes of scene and at times, scene and POV. But I assure you, unless the story needs otherwise, the point of view will only be Jaden's or third person. Hope the POV's are clear, let me know if they're not.  
**

Chapter 2- The Next Step Is Ahead

What are we now….what are we now…?

The claws—I watched them, very aware of how it was me curling and uncurling them. I felt them extend and retract, and despite the pain, I could only continue now and again. These claws…they were mine. They belonged to me…whoever, whatever I was now.

I looked to my sibling, my friend, and the stranger that I could almost wonder if she would be bonded to us for this. As my gaze cast on the Enterran's once more, settling on Sago, I suddenly felt a lurch in my stomach, and I ran for the apartment.

Nearly stumbling as if I hadn't used my feet in weeks, I found myself on my knees on the ground once I finally found the bathroom. It was simple enough, no tub, just a shower, toilet, and sink. Crawling to the toilet, I opened my mouth that had suddenly gone dry. My stomach lurch again, like it was trying to chuck something from my stomach and up my throat. But all that came as a gasp first. It wasn't as if I didn't have anything to up-chuck, but as if the torment of gagging up my meals suddenly turned into the worst headache ever.

I curled up on the ground, grasping my head and trying to massage it, apply pressure. Why, why was I this… I could faintly remember, like a dream, the nights and days spent night-time-imagining and day time writing just how I might become a part of this world, how I might become one of them. It had been something I'd once wanted. And sure, since I'd arrived, I'd again thought of it, but didn't believe it possible. And this…this, no matter if it made it possible, it never should have been, I felt. Something I wanted so much should not have to cause me so much pain, stress, and turmoil.

The knives, the needles, the liquid. I felt the lurch again, and raised myself quickly to the bowl, this time releasing half of Kutaal's meals.

I could hear others finally entering the house, hear some of them calling for me. The weak call of my sister, Heather, even Sago calling. But I didn't call back; instead I just pushed myself halfway in the shower and curled against the wall. Thoughts running as if from a distance from my actual understanding, my head dropped and I started pulling at my clothing, looking over my body then, noticing the wounds. They were almost gone, it looked like. The scars on my arms were apparently, and I still felt faint pain like an ache, but it was almost barely noticeable—more like the ache of overuse than of injured pain. The most noticeable wound was the one in my right shoulder and I reached a clawed hand to run over it. It was tender around the edges, where the skin seemed to cling to it. I swallowed back bile, not even wanting to wonder _how_ or _why_ it clung like that.

"Jaden…"

I looked around the shower curtain, and saw Heather standing in the doorway. We stared for a moment, before Heather entered, half shut the door, and came in. Just nearing the shower, she came to her hands and knees and crawled forward to join me. She curled near me, our forearms laying to touch as we hadn't the energy for any other sort of comfort.

"We're different, now…" I stated and my voice sounded weak. We heard others passing outside the bathroom, Sago stating his assumption that we were in there, and needed a moment.

"We've always been different." Heather pointed out, that strength showing through in her voice for a brief moment.

"…Not like this, though." I replied back. "…Were we meant for this..?"

Heather didn't answer for some time, apparently wondering it herself. But shaking her head and sighing, curling nearer to me, she finally did. "I guess we'll just have to see from here on out."

I considered this, and it seemed our only choice; only time can tell, I think the saying is. All I knew was time was going to test my view of this world. I still held it fondly, and I ached for the thrill and fondness to coincide once again. But the damage Parasite reaped would ache in my chest for a while, this I knew…

I I I

It was all I could do not to run. I had to keep reminding myself, where would I run? The best people to accept me, accept us right now, were with us. The guys, Binka, Kutaal, the kittens—they were endless support, from the moment they'd found us, to now. But I felt…restless, and jumpy. I couldn't bear the close presence of anyone but the three women who I related to most right now. And when the urge to run came again, I had to ask myself what I was running from, and remind myself once again; I was safe, here. With these Enterran's, these _people_ I was safe.

All we could do, of course, was rest among them, under their watch, and with their presence. We slept coupled together, no point (or really, no determination-fueled energy) returning anywhere right now, and when we'd wake, we found food waiting for us. There was always food.

Nothing with utensils. I couldn't bare it, and the others didn't seem inclined either. And only water, the color of the other drinks made me remember injections of chemicals. I was still feeling guilty for the breaking of one of Kutaal's prettier cups that found itself shattered because the shade of the drink. Despite how much I knew I'd ate, that all four of us had, I was still hungry and they seemed to be, too. It's like our hunger had increased. I knew I was craving meat, of all kinds, Earth and Enterran. But that required sharp objects. So I stuck with Kutaal's soups and what little chunks of anything they might give. When I had my fill, or at least knew I'd ate much more than I usually would, I crawled back to a corner where Heather sat, picking at her plate with thigh-meat of some animal they never bothered to find out what it was and remember. Sometimes she tore strips and ate them, sometimes she didn't.

By now, the others had the good graces not to stare or worry too heavily. Some of them even went off to rooms, or like Xavier, back to his home. One of them was always here, though, at least one. Perhaps as an extra safety measure, just in case, or maybe it was just in case we needed something. It was a comfort and I didn't mind.

I really wasn't conscious of the time. It was more of an aggravation to even wonder or keep up with it. One hour could feel as if it seemed to be going as slow as a slug, but then the next hour, I would look back on the past two hours and be surprised, as if it now felt too quick. It gave me a headache. Or maybe it just aggravated me. Anything negative really didn't agree with me right now.

Currently, I watched over my sister, while she conversed with Alex, with worry and curiosity, and with a lazing protectiveness; as if I had to watch over her. She'd stood her ground, held herself up well against everything they'd faced in the past…what was it now? Had it been a week since the date night…?

The date. It seemed like another life, now. Or at least more like years ago than days. I tried to remember…the date ended, and Ryuma took us. He took us, and then we were saved. We were saved, and then he found us. He took us again, and we woke up in his palace. From there, we fought without sleep, without reprieve. Fought to find answers, fought to save ourselves, to save our friends. I looked to the other corner of the room, where a small screen we had originally assumed was a TV was located. It was more a receiver for any calls or messages or updates or warnings from other towns, we'd eventually found out. Mushra, Sago, and Kutaal had done so much work, with Binka, to ensure Enterra was safe. They'd traveled nearly the whole of this world that was free to travel for them once they'd been reunited with Mushra, and they wanted to ensure the innocents were protected, or that they could at least aid them in protecting themselves. There were a few times we'd caught them receiving video calls, seeing authorities or just friends in other towns or cities—I was sure I'd seen Clip and Bolt and the others once.

Standing by the screen was Mushra, looking over us now and again, but when not, he seemed lost in thought. I wondered what those thoughts were, simply because his face was twisted in such seriousness that seemed so rare for him. Heather took notice as well, I could tell, even if she barely watched him.

Suddenly, I heard shuffling near us, and my head shot up as my heart raced a bit quicker. I wanted to smack myself, though, yell that there was nothing to fear, we were safe. The shuffling was only my sister as she scooted and crawled toward us as Alex went to another room, I assumed to the bathroom.

The life in her face warmed by heart, I barely noticed the longing in my chest to feel that same life. It would come to me, to all of us, again. And of course, she wasn't nearly recovered. But I think her recently bloomed strength was probably a large factor. I leaned a bit forward as she finally settled across from me, us creating three fourths of a circle.

"When we return home, we're bringing Alex." She stated to us, her voice sure.

I made a look. That seemed obvious—the woman's been trapped here for some time, of course she wanted to return to Earth. I nodded. "Of course. We'll bring her back to Earth." My voice sounded a bit strained, but I really couldn't care.

"I mean HOME. To our house. To stay with us when we're there." She clarified.

Not that I had a problem with it exactly, but confused, I furrowed my brows. "Why?" I really didn't register if my voice sounded as neutral and curious as it was meant to.

"She doesn't know a thing about Enterra. All she knows is what she's experienced since being kidnapped. I was…thinking…about if we should…show her." Winter reasoned, settling into a relaxed position, but the look on her face was hesitant, like she was unsure.

"Show her…?"

"The TV show. You know…let her watch."

With that my brows raised. Even just imagining it made me feel iffy. It was one thing for us to watch a show, and stumble into a place where it was apparently real. It's a completely different, and possibly harder situation if you stumble into the place first, then see it as a show. Would that even help the woman Alex?

"Winter…I don't…"

"I know. It could be…problematic. I know. But…I want her to see the good in this place, too. Who knows where she might end up, back home and containing what she is now, or here and out of her element…" she sounded sad at the thought. "I want to at least offer it to her…a chance to see what this world can be."

We'd just experienced the worst this world can be, and it has definitely left me questioning whether it was worth it to stay. But then, Earth had its own hardships, and we still endured there, because we had no choice. We had choices now…and I was very sure that from here on out, we would be left to really having to choose. Perhaps watching would do us all some good.

I rubbed my face for a moment, before nodding. I looked winter in the eyes, and noticed her blue green eyes seemed to be more icy among the blue flecks. "Sure. Of course she can stay with us. Just. Prepare her before showing the show. Make sure she understands, and wants to be exposed to it."

Winter gave a small smile, and nodded.

Footsteps were sounding, and I looked to see Alex returning, Mushra just glancing up and nodding when she passed and she briefly took notice. She seemed, in her face, to be in that state of numbness, but the look in her eyes as they settled on Winter—I could almost see that the numbness was like a skin she could shed at any moment. I wasn't sure whether I hoped it to be sooner or later for her. I guess it depends on how she could handle everything without that numbness.

She settled down by Winter, and her eyes cast to us and gave an indication of her head. I managed a smile, which surprised me.

"What are your names again? Sorry. I don't think I've…really been ingesting conversation…or words until today, with Winter." She spoke. Her voice seemed more strained in ways than ours, but she was pushing it to be level, even if the sentences took some time.

"Jaden." I stated, and my brief introduction (if you'd call it that) was followed by, "Heatherrrr…what's…meat, you've betrayed me…why you no taste good..?" Heather sounded very weakly disappointed and I heard her drop the plate.

The other woman nodded. "Alright, I mostly remembered them. My names Alex. Just in case your memories are as bad as mine right now."

It wasn't memory that was bad, we all new that; it was level of importance. But I wouldn't say that. I rolled my neck and felt it pop a few times. My eyes cast to my sister, who seemed briefly peaceful, as if having us talking, or perhaps it was my agreeing, had left her satisfied; if so, I was glad she could be so happy over such small satisfaction. Even if she seemed like she could easily curl up and sleep for days, as they all could, she seemed as content as we were able to be.

"So you guys are from Georgia?" Alex asked then, and I nodded.

"Mostly born and raised." I told her.

"Visited family, made friends, decided I wanted to live with friends and visit family instead for a while." Heather answered with a raised hand, strangely. "Former Californian. Is Californian a word? Yes it is."

Alex nodded, and could almost seem to laugh. "Same, though not California. I was visiting some close family, staying for a while, when I went on a dare-trip to that building…" she stated, gaze dropping as she seemed to be recalling things. Winter was relaxing, and I got the feeling she'd already been told this, if not in detail, then in passing.

"They forced me along when we found the way here." Winter commented, nodding towards us. "Only told me the story about its existence in the mansion when we were halfway there."

My arms raised to crossed over my chest, and action that seemed so normal yet foreign right now—I think it was due to the lack of activity with any of my body, much less my arms. "Yeah-and who exactly begged and argued and tempted a yes for us to go through the portal when we found it?"

Winter sat up a little at that. "Whose fault is it that I was so curious?"

"I was neutral ground during this." Heather told Alex. "Mostly."

I gave Heather a 'Really?' look. "Neutral my ass."

"Mostly!" She exclaimed almost animatedly, and it seemed to send a pulse through my body, as if my body had fallen asleep, and that pulse had tried to stir it into waking (just without the irritating, torturous fuzzy waking feeling). I shook my head, and could have sworn I saw movement from Mushra from the corner of my eye.

I watched the ground, wondering what that reaction was, and all I could think was that it was the familiar energy showing through from the familiar nature to our interactions and our general personalities, and stirring familiar feelings and reactions in turn, stirring it out from under the heap of emptiness.

I looked back up at Alex then, though. "Sorry, we interrupted. You were saying…?" I wasn't sure she wanted to go on.

But, after a moment, she did. "Well, on a dare, we went to a house and found a back way in." Heather sat up at that, and I leaned a bit more forward. A way in we didn't know about? "The entrance to the back way started in the trees, I think it was. It was a tunnel. I'd been dared to enter through there and see if I could find any evidence to give truth to the old story. They of course didn't come with me. I never found out what happened to them…when I'd be crawling in, their voices seemed to die down, and I could have sworn I heard the padding of their feet, felt the dirt shift and some fall from above me like they were walking…

"I didn't know how long I was in there, but as uncomfortable as it was, I was determined to do it. I wasn't sure they were there anymore, and if they'd believe me if I made it. But I'd do it anyways, just to prove it, even if only to myself. I didn't know how unstable the tunnel was, though. I bumped the wall the wrong way, almost completely through the tunnel, and it closed in behind me. I couldn't go back, could barely turn around, so I knew I had to go the rest of the way. There was a block at the end ahead, but I swore there was light…so I started moving rubble, dirt and rocks, the light almost blinding me, but I could only hope it was the way out. I reached my hand into the light, and…it was like a thrilling shock, not exactly painfully, but not entirely pleasant—it pulled me, unwillingly. I was falling, it felt like it was never ending, until I was tossed onto the ground." Alex swallowed, a hand moving to wrapped around her implanted arm.

"I was wandering through the woods, down a hill, and into a camp of…what seemed like…like monsters, or just freaky, unnatural creatures. I was surprised, and a little freaked, so I ran for it, and for a while, I never stopped. It was only when I made it to a town, that had some normal looking people, that I tried to figure out was going on." So that's why she seemed a little uncomfortable with Kutaal. "They were so confusing, though. They talked about an Enterra, I didn't know what that was for sure, though I recognized the terra in it, and I know that means earth. I didn't know what to make of it. I wasn't even sure what that light I'd gone through was, for sure. I focused on talking to this woman. I asked about the creatures she'd seen, and she seemed confused. She ended up bring me to more of them, and I ran again, she seemed so annoyed that I was so clueless, and they…they called _me_ a freak. Eventually, I made it to what I thought was ruins of an abandoned town…that's…that's where…he…" she swallowed harder than before then, leaning forward to hug herself.

"He took you." I finished for her, and the vision of Parasite's card floating in front of me passed through my mind. That desire to slash it was still there, and seemed to pulse now with rage of what she could only imagine Alex was put further through. She _had_ been with him longer than they'd been.

She nodded. "He tested me, mostly, before you guys came. Talked and bragged a lot. I barely understood a thing that was going on, only that he had gems and he said they had power. And he had forms of DNA of rare creatures. It confused me, though." She looked at each of us then. "He…he talked about them, even named them, like they were foreign. Only one did seem foreign. Or fake, is more like it."

"What?" Heather asked curiously.

"A….wyvern, I think he called it? That's a sort of dragon, isn't it? In fantasy stories and games?"

"Sorta, but sorta not. Think of it as the ape to our humanity, maybe?" Heather stated, and Alex briefly nodded.

"But then he talked about the hunter wolf, the sly snow fox, the white tiger—like, as if, those things were extinct! I know tigers are having a toll taken on their species, but…" she shook her head, brows furrowed. She looked to us then. "Things are different here…aren't they? There's…bugs, animals, that can walk, move, and talk like humans. And he talked about _normal_ animals like they were a treasure…"

I bit the inside of my lip, but it was Heather that answered first.

"Things are very different. And we have one or two ways we could explain." She stated. "We could take a while of trying to explain and paint an iffy picture, or… Winter thinks we might be able to show you."

She looked from us, to Winter. "Are you going to tell me then, or not?"

Winter raised her shoulders. "Yes…it's just…a bit difficult to explain." She ran a lazy hand through her blond hair, but she didn't look to us, so she seemed to be trying to find the words herself. Finally she looked back to Alex, who was mostly patient. "We had sort of…information, and knowledge, of this world—beforehand. We knew about a lot of things, and we still wonder if its coincidence or fate, but…I was thinking we could show you that source of information, and maybe it would help you learn a bit more about this place, about what it contains, where it came from, the people in it, and…what good it can hold, despite the bad… If you want…?"

I notice she was still trying to be vague about that source of 'information and knowledge'.

Alex was silent for a moment. She had seemed to be following, up until the last bit, as if it didn't sit right with her. I didn't think it would. Being told that there was good in this world, after what she'd experienced, was probably farfetched. But she took a breath, sighed, and nodded. "…I think I could possibly, maybe give it a try…"

Winter smiled and nodded. She yawned then, pointed teeth showing, and stretched a bit, and I felt an ache of tiredness from that. The other two seemed to be infected by her yawn, and as I yawned, I (eventually) said, "Maybe…we should sleep…before we get to doing…anything…?" I stretched, too, feeling my claws briefly extend. I looked around the room, noticing Sago entering and talking with Mushra. They glanced our way only a few times as I heard the girls settling, and I was decently sure about what those glances were for; the 'how are they doing' look from Sago, and then from Mushra, the 'well this is what I've seen so far so take from that what you will' look. I just really didn't have the energy to care as I would otherwise.

I curled up with the others, pretty sure I ended up using Winter's arm as a pillow and Heather's as a cuddle object once I got settled enough to be in the numb-and-falling-asleep spot. And then I went under, fully remembering just at that last moment where I could feel myself slipping, that going under like this was just like being put under by Parasite…

But I was completely under before I could do anything consciously. And I was floating in darkness, remembering the sting of the pain, being pulled and poked and jabbed—and the searing pain in my arm… Oh god, it hurts….it hurts!

"It…h-hurts…!"

I heard my name faintly in the distance, and as quiet as it was, I heard how desperate it was. And it grew louder, and I heard Heather's name, too.

It hurts!

I woke then, the pain so real, and present in my arm and I looked…to see blood around the implanted jewel, the jewel still faintly shining through the blood. And then I felt a cold sting in my hand and looked as I yanked, to see that Winter was grasping my arm, her touch chilling my wrist.

My claws where out, and bloody. I yanked my hands free, and looked over her, and the other two women, Heather looking worried, Alex looking freaked as she shrunk back against our corner. None of them were bleeding, though Alex looked like she had aggravated scraps.

"D-did I?" I asked her, but Heather pulled my attention away.

"We woke up to her having a nightmare. She was scratching herself… And you…" she stated, and nodded to my other arm where the wound implant was… I did that to myself? The pain in the dream… even though I could see bits of the smaller scraps healing, the sight of it still put me off… Mushra and Sago, and even Binka and one of the kittens were in the room, watching us worriedly. They all seemed as if they had tried to make their way towards us, but had hesitated.

Then I heard the crackling, strange noises… I looked down…The ground around Winter was frosting over…but around me, it's like I was singeing the rug.

"Are we…doing this…?" I asked, though my voice sounded far away from me as I looked at my wrist and rubbed it to warm it, feeling the sting in my arm and hearing Winter apologize.

"Your powers seem to…already be showing themselves. Your powers come through in your natural form, like me." Sago stated, coming a step closer.

"Why are they coming out right now…? We're not attacking." Winter asked, looking at her hand and my wrist. I shook my head, as if to tell her not to worry, but I was still rubbing my wrist to warm it.

"Parasite's experiment," I shivered when Mushra said his name, and I was very sure the others reacted similarly, "was still that; an experiment, which means it was experimental. It wasn't perfect, and who knows what his work brought forth. You're…half and half now." He took a step closer, watching us worriedly, and I hated how he looked at us, how they all did. "Half human because that's what you started as, but half some slightly advanced version of what we are, Enterran…"

"Advanced, how…?" Winter asked.

"We considered this." Sago said this time. "Where there are some of us, like Kutaal, whose forms aren't like what you know as human, they're humanoid animals from your time. From what we got out of Parasite, and what we found in that wreckage, AND what you've been able to tell us or talk about…I think he implanted you each with some sort of animal DNA. That's why you have sharpened teeth, and claws. There have never been any Enterrans, that I've known of, that have been able to be both humanoid and animal. The only thing close are Rusephine's people, and they could be more avian people than they are part animal. And not all Hyper Enterrans can use their element without Hyper Forming. Some can't at all, others can mature into it. Whatever he's done, he was trying to make you four into something unprecedented."

"Great." I muttered, putting my hand to my face, before I felt the blood, and yanked the hand away. And with the jerk, fire spurted towards the ground. It only singed the rug, but even so. It had made Winter jump. "So we're cursed with this shit we can't control!?" I asked, angry and panicked, feeling my body warm up a little.

Sago raised his hands as Mushra stepped closer and said, "Look, guys, it'll be alright. All this requires is control. It's that simple."

"Simple? You think any of this is simple?" Heather asked with aggravation clear on her face, and I looked to her and noticed it was like she was…draining light around her—no, she was just giving off a dark energy.

I felt my hair on my arms prickle, but I was unsure why, as I shook my head.

"It'll be alright, just stay calm." Sago stepped closer, and that's when Winter stood.

"How are we supposed to stay calm!?" she demanded, ice crackling across the ground, reaching one of the windows and shattering it. She backed away from the shattering glass and ice, shrinking back a bit when she realized she'd done that.

I stood and pulled her to me, feeling how cool her skin felt.

Sago stopped advancing for a moment, but he still looked to all of us empathetically, arms in an open and welcoming motion. "I'm sorry, I know that sounds easier said than done. But we're here, we can help you guys."

"How are any of you supposed to help us when no one in this room understands what we're capable of?!" Alex asked then, and I glanced to her, noticing her eyes seeming alight, almost electric blue, before I looked back to the others and she continued. "What can you do to help?"

"Whatever we can." Mushra retaliated to her tone and lack of faith.

"Well excuse me if that vague statement provides no comfort." She returned and I sighed as Mushra seemed to get aggravated.

"Well at least we're trying to do SOMETHING!" Mushra ended up spitting her way, but I felt the accusation, and knew it was meant for all of us, and my eyes narrowed as Sago put a hand on Mushra's shoulder. I let go of Winter and I moved to stand straight across from Mushra.

I stared him down, and from how the others all watched me, I wondered how I looked to them—freakish, unlike myself? I know I turned my head, like an animal observing, but I never blinked, and I'm sure my features and body language held rage… It became apparent when I smelt the faint smoke. "… So sorry, Mushra… Are we lazing about in your home?"

He sighed. "Jaden, I didn't mean—that was—"

"I'm sorry we're not to full, perky energy you boys are used to."

"Jaden, you know we don't actually blame you—" Sago began as calmly as he could, but I kept going.

"I'm sorry we're just taking up space, maybe we should leave!" I took a step closer, and I could faintly hear the girls say my name behind me. I didn't know why until a string of fire whipped out, straight in the directions of the guys, and the flame slashed across Sago's arm, and his yelp of pain made me nearly stumble backward. "S-Sago, I didn't…didn't mean…I couldn't…" I stuttered so quickly and turned, heading for the door, backwards.

He heard he make a pained noise, but he spoke through the pain, and I barely looked to see he was trying to hide the reaction of pain to reassure. "I know, I know… We don't blame any of you. Mushra—we all, are just frustrated, because we want you to be better. And we know there's not much we can do, but as your friends we want to."

I could only stare—his sleeve was singed, and I could see at least a four inch burn through the blackened blue cloth. "I'm sorry…"

Heather spoke up then, and as she did, I saw she was pushing for the other girls to join me near the door. "We have to go…for a little while. Back home, to be…away from here. To recuperate. And get some sort of…control…and just…something back…"

"You don't _have_ to leave…" Binka spoke up then, looking sympathetic, and I look away. "It's alright, you think that's the first time Sago got burned? You shoulda seen what my rocket shots did... And those were on purpose."

"We'll… We'll be back." Heather said, despite Binka's attempts.

"Whatever you guys feel you need to do, you don't have to leave us to do it." Mushra offered, and it left me wondering why they wouldn't just let up. Then it came to me, maybe they were scared about what would happen if we left.

"What do you expect us to do here, now?" Heather countered then, sounding serious. I looked to see her standing her ground, not seeming angry, just adamant. "All we do here is sleep, rest, eat, and wallow. And then repeat. We're barely getting better, other than talking, and until this moment, we only feel like we could briefly talk to each other because anything we need to talk about only makes sense to us, or is important to us, and we just can't handle feeling like we're cradled helpless children by talking to you guys right now. Really Mushra… what do you expect us to do…?"

Mushra, and the others were silent for some time, Mushra turning and shaking his head but seeming to think it over. I couldn't even look at Sago, but I could tell that he was still holding the burn… It was Binka that spoke up then.

"Alright. We can understand that…"

I looked to Heather and the other two, considering leaving. We just needed to be home. We needed to be away, we needed to fend for ourselves, and we needed to not feel like we were being baby-sat. We…needed to find a little bit more of our former selves again. I knew I just couldn't be here, for that reason, and the possibility that if we got emotional, as little as we just did, I couldn't bare hurting any of the others. Especially the kittens…

Mushra once again spoke, but he seemed to have calmed, except for his eyes. Those blues held intensity, barely disrupted by the purple locks that still fell over his crown. "We all have answers to find…I can agree on that. We…all have things to face, to understand, and to get to the bottom of." We could agree to that, and I nodded as he continued. "I feel as if something is pushing what's happened; with everything that's come to pass… I can just feel it. And we need to find out what's pushing visions, and memories, and all of this, before we're pushed too far." He looked over the four of us then, considerably. "You four have your own answers to seek and define, I understand that…and you should do so."

We nod to him, and Alex moves and opens the door.

"Best of luck to you girls." He stated with forced hopefulness, raising his forearm like a fist pump. His smile showed true hopefulness, though.

"And to you guys, too. We're just a phone call away." Winter stated, and I tried to ignore how that was a little too reminiscent of the last time we tried to go home on our own.

We head out of the apartment, me keeping close to Winter as we head down the road, though she steers from it for a moment.

"I need to go see Xavier—let him know." She states, heading towards his smaller apartment a few buildings down. I went along with her, Heather and Alex slowing their pace, and I assumed they were stopping, they weren't following us.

As we arrive, Winter knocks just before entering, not waiting for him to come answer and I just took that as being how they worked by now. I still stayed close to Winter, as we waited just beyond the door, but went Xavier didn't come, Winter called.

"Xavier…?" she called softly but loud enough to be heard.

There was silence, a shuffled or bumping, silence again for about ten seconds before we heard him coming down the stairs. His hair seemed to cover his eyes more than I ever saw before, but then he as he raised his head a bit more, and his eyes zeroed in on Winter, it seemed to cover his eyes less. The smile crossed his lips, and he crossed the room to embrace her, his arms out, though he hesitated just as he reached her. I saw he smile and nodded, and they embraced. I smiled. It was nice to see again. As I watched their sweet little embrace, and looked over Xavier, I realized it felt like it'd been some time since he had come to the apartment. I wondered what he'd been up to that he wasn't there looking after Winter. But the other boys weren't CONSTANTLY there, either, so…

"How are you feeling..?" he asked carefully, seeming unsure and very careful.

Winter shrugged, still keeping in his embrace and keeping him in hers. "Not as much as my old self as I and…everyone else wants, but…for the first time in so many days, I feel hopeful."

He kept his smile, taking her face in his hands. I thought he was about to kiss her, but he hesitated, and then just but his forehead to hers. "I'm glad for that. And I hope for more, from that hope. My sweet Winter…"

She gave a strange laugh, as I raised a brow. I don't think I'd ever heard him call her that. I guess near-death experience with your girlfriend after your first date will do that; give you more names to call and more affection to give in new ways.

They seemed like they were inching towards a kiss, but it was taking so long, and I really couldn't tell…but if they were, I just sort of turned to offer privacy and I ended up bumping something on the ground. Muttering a shoot, because surely people can understand that embarrassment of making noise in a mostly quiet moment, I looked to see what I bumped to make sure nothing had been broken.

It seemed to be some small scale communicator thing, that I'd seen other Enterran's use, like their own sort of phones, with portable Enterran-Skyping. I hadn't known Xavier HAD one of those. Though, then again, maybe there really wasn't anyone who had to contact, like family or friends, so that would account for not having seen that.

I looked up to the other two, and Winter seemed to still be contently smiling, but I noticed Xavier had caught me, and was watching me with…a look that confused me. I got the feeling he didn't want me there. I gave a weak sheepish smile, raised my hands and backed out. "I'll wait outside as you talk…"

Slipping out, I sighed, and turned to the other girls, Alex giving a short wave and I walked over.

"She still talking in there?" she asked.

I nodded. "I think the Mr. to that Love-Bird couple didn't want me in there, though, so, I'll just wait out here with y'all."

She nodded, and as the silence went on and Winter still hadn't come out, Alex ended up striking up a topic herself. Good sign. "Soo…you guys said that, Heather?" she point to said person, who nodded to confirmation. "Was from Cali but moved here? And you grew up here?" she asked me.

I nodded. "Yup. Most my family lived here, including my parents, but in the process of so many family connecting with trips, between us and Heather, my parents got a thirst for the California life and decided to move up there. So they're sorta living close to her parents, living the parents-done-raising-their-kids dream. Which I'm glad for."

"So…your parents went on vacation and you guys are living the working life now?" Alex observed, and I laughed.

"We were, yes. But, uh… We've lost a few jobs…thankfully we saved up money on a few months keeping away from here, like no more trips, so that if we were ever here for some time, we still had bill paying money. But, eventually that's gonna run out."

"No jobs here?" she raised a brow.

"Well, yeah. Things aren't as screwed up economy wise here, though. We just go back and forth so much, we've never really looked for jobs here." I told her.

"We just steal from Sago's stash." Heather informed her.

"Sago is…?"

"Blue hair, blue eyes, blue everything." I informed her and she nodded. She seemed to be about to ask another question, when the door opened.

Looking to Winter, she exited without 'Sweet' Xavier, so I assumed she'd explained and said goodbyes inside. Still felt kind of weird that Xavier was inside, alone, not even wanting to say good bye to us either, but again, he was a bit introverted, I had to remember. I'd just let him be. As long as he treated Winter right, that's all I cared about.

"We ready to go?" I asked, and Winter nodded.

Looking to the others, who also nodded, we started making our trek home, Alex following and keeping close while still observing around with curiosity. I did truly hope that she could accept the show, and it could enlighten her. If not for her to enjoy this world and what it held, than at least to let it mend some of the wounds done on her.

Hopefully going home, and getting away, would mend things for all of us.

Hopefully.

I I I

Xavier had just entered the apartment, and was first greeted by Binka, who was just finishing a meal.

"Well, long days, no see. What have you been up to?" she asked him.

"Personal things." He told her a bit shortly.

She narrowed her gaze curiously. "Personal? Well…did you see Winter before she left…?"

"Yes." He spoke, again shortly, as he went to join Kutaal, Sago, and Mushra in front of the screen that was buzzing and beeping, splitting into a few screens. "Whats going on?"

"Oooh, Xavier, good to see you back around, boy." Kutaal stated, giving him a pat (slap) on the back.

"We're getting some entail from our allies in other towns near the Generals cities." Sago stated, but Mushra took over as some of the screens were starting to settle and clear, showing a beastly but thick looking Enterran, a young female winged Enterran and human, a few bots, and a few bug Enterrans.

"I don't really know that anything could be going so wrong with other Generals, but…the very fact that, through Ungar, Ryuma was able to be told memories and visions of his other past, and his grudge against us and Yakumo that he once held, as well as all other Generals… I can't help but worry whether or not he was the only one lucky enough to come by these facts." The fire Enterran state, turning from looking at Xavier, who stayed behind them and looking over shoulders as Mushra's attention was on the screen.

"Bolt, Exandria, Kahl, Gerran…" he said, as recognition of some of the others on the four screens. "Tell me anything that seems unsettling. Nothing is unimportant; if there's been a single disturbance, we need to know…something isn't right."

 **Mushra: BOLT, there's that old boy! Was wondering if you'd have him in again.  
Me: duh, I love those bots. They'll be reoccurring now and again~  
Mushra: as long as they don't steal my thunder.  
Me: Mushra, if anyone does it, they're not stealing; they earned it and you lost it.  
Mushra: You wanna go  
Me: HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY, review if you'd like~ **


	3. Ep3-Just Keep Moving

**Me: first of all, thank god to my mom helping me figure out a name for something. Just keep an eye out for something called Vovi.  
Mushra: for a writing, you're not always that creative.  
Me: I can creatively do a lot of cruel things to you, hot head, don't push me.  
Mushra: okaaay okaaaay….touchy touchy.  
Me: I do hope you all enjoy! *looks at the title* ….just keep swimming, just keep swimming…  
**

Chapter 3- Just Keep Moving

We made it back to the house without much regard for the time. We weren't pushing ourselves, but I was thankful when we arrived. I had first closed the space between us and the porch and took a seat there for a moment, breathing in the familiar air and looking at the familiar scenery.

"What's that..?" Alex asked, and I looked to her, and then followed her gaze, spotting the claw marks on the ground made by Grandora's hind claws. Giving a shiver, I stood. Well, there goes the comfort of outside.

"Remnants of one of the negatives that is now nonexistent." Winter told her, as I opened the door. It was unlocked, of course. When we'd all ran out to greet the roaring three headed dragon, none of us were really thinking to lock the door. Luckily we've never had to worry about any crimes or theft, so I barely regarded the fact.

Entering, I took another breath and took in the comfort of home. It had been home for some time now, even if it was neglected do to Enterra trips. It was still ours; the home me, my friend, and sister claimed for ourselves and kept up with. That we made our own.

"Nice place." Alex commented, and we all said thanks in unison.

Heather shut the door once we were all inside and we all stood in a little huddle, observing the living-room, and the kitchen and dining room just extending from it. But soon, we were just standing and staring.

"…Well, I say we take turns with showers, how about you guys?" Winter suggested then.

I sighed. "That sounds really nice." And nodded, but thought I'd wait for the others to call it. One of us would have to wait, as we had one bathroom in my room, one in Heather's, and the guest bathroom which Winter usually used.

Winter stepped forward then, waving and Alex followed her. "You can use mine and I'll get you some clothes, okay?"

Alex nodded, giving a smile in thanks. Winter lead her from the foyer and down the hall to the guest bathroom that was claimed as hers. I continued to stand there, just slowly observing the room and taking it in. I felt Heather graze my upper arm when she passed, and I realized I was hugging arms.

"You feeling okay? You're a bit warm." She noted calmly, looking to me.

"I think it's my power—emotions, too. I'll probably be fine." I assured her, trying to relax my grip on myself. I looked straight to her. "How are you feeling..? I'm still not sure what your power is.."

"Me either, completely, but I have an assumption. Just not ready to test it." She told me, her gaze wandering in consideration.

"And?"

"..Maybe dark…?" she offered.

I considered that, thinking of her attack on Parasite, even the way she seemed to faintly emanate dark energy back at the apartment when we were all reeling and arguing. I gave a slow nod as Winter came out of the bathroom, and headed our way, though she half turned towards the stairs as she addressed us.

"I don't know what size she is perfectly, or what clothes she likes, so do y'all mind if I just take an outfit each from all our wardrobes?" she asked, hand on the railing.

I shrugged. "That's fine with me."

Heather nodded, and with that, Winter hurried up the stairs. I sighed and rolled my head, popping my neck in places.

"We should probably head to take a shower or something ourselves, shouldn't we." I stated/sort of questioned.

"Yes. I smell like chemicals, spices, and just too many other dirtier smells." She said, and headed up before me and I followed after, finally releasing myself as I ascended up to the second level of my home. Heather went ahead of me to her room, as I round the stairs railing and went to my room just across from Winter's.

The familiarity and non-Enterran-ness of it all came over me as a soothing wave, even if somehow a bit lonelier. I looked around the room and headed to my dresser to begin checking through to pick out some sort of decent clothing. I ended up choosing pajama's, because fuck it. The clothes slung over my forearm, I went into the bathroom, flipping the light on.

Taking in the room, I noticed there weren't as many towels as I tried to keep stocked, but then again there was a big enough one and that's all I needed. I laid down the clothes and went to start the water, then considered if I should wait—all of us showering at the same time, we'd run out of hot water. And I needed that water pelting over me…

After sitting for nearly ten minutes on the lidded toilet, I finally decided it was a good enough time to start my shower. Once I got it to the right temperature, I started working off some of my clothes, removing my shorts first. I tossed them into my laundry spot, and happened to look up briefly and catch myself in the mirror.

God, I was a wreck. My hair was a mess, the only reason it wasn't a mass of tangles was because every other day at some point I'd run my fingers absentmindedly to straighten it as much as I could. But even so…I could notice traces of rubble dust, burns and tears in my clothes. This shirt was very ruined; jeez, there was a gash on the side where you could see my bra. I was almost embarrassed to think the others had seen that the entire time, but I pushed the thought away. I looked to my eyes then, and I just…looked like someone else. I could see the features that were still mine; the full cheeks, the sometimes naturally tired looking eyes, the full lips. But…I looked wilder now, with an edge of fierceness in my eyes now and again, when they didn't become over coated with weariness. And _the red hair_. It wasn't bad, especially considering I'd wanted, and once tried, to die my hair a shade of it before. But it was still strange. My hair still had a brown tint to it in places, but it was like it was naturally this red shade that was just a few shades lighter than blood red.

Eventually, I just couldn't look anymore. I rid myself of the rest of my clothing and hopped in the shower, wincing at first before becoming increasingly soothed and some weak sort of blissful at the feeling of the warmth on my back, my arms. I stood in the falling, warm water for a little while before I put forth much effort for anything. But soon my arms began to remember how to work with the soap and cloth, and eventually I was bathed, my hair washed. I was already feeling cleaner. I stayed in the pelting heat a bit longer, though, it was so soothing. I was almost reluctant to stop it and then be hit by the cool air. But I also didn't want to stand for much longer. I hurried in drying and dressing as fast as my tired and weak limbs would allow, and I just brushed my hair and put it in a ponytail to keep the wet hair from completely drenching the back of my shirt. Then I felt the need to brush my teeth, smelling my breath and just…not pleasant, man.

Coating the brush enough, I started brushing, but I stopped as soon as I did, really taking a look at what I could only call my fangs. It was just…weird…almost wrong.. I don't know… I stared at them with my mouth open, almost barring my fangs, before I shook my head and continued cleaning my teeth.

Once I was all finished, dressed and cleaned enough that I could deal with myself, I made my trek out the room and down the stairs. At the foot of the stairs, I found the others were in the kitchen and I went in to see what they were up to; were any of us really even hungry?

"Cups up here," Winter said, opening a cabinent, "plates in here, and bowls too, but then there some more in this extending part, with other bigger cooking bowls and stuff. Silverware here."

Alex was nodding along, and I realized she was getting a brief tour in case she needed to go in there for something. Smart. Who knows how long we're going to be here.

Heather spotted me and made her way over and past me to the living room, which I followed her into. She plopped onto the ground, as I took a seat on the couch just beside/behind her. I looked over the TV stand, saw the few cases that held the DVD's we'd burned of the show. I ran a hand over my pulled back hair. Passing my ear, grazing it, I noticed it was pointed… Shaking my head, I sighed.

"Should we….set up the show while they're in there…?" I asked.

Heather shrugged with her back to me, but she seemed to be looking in the similar direction. "I don't know—dunno if she even knows it's a show yet, maybe we should wait until Winter tells her that. If she does agree to watch, though…what do you think it's going to be like?"

"Watching again?"

"Yeah."

I took a moment to consider my answer. "I think…it'll be…just weird. I mean, it's going to be cheesy, nostalgic, funny, heart-wrenching… But something else I can't put a name to. We've lived in that world; we've interacted with those people, even grown a little bit with them, even if only a little…"

"And now we're a part of it." She stated, moving a hand to the jewel on her chest. "This thing was hard to wash around. I feel very uncomfortable with the fact he decided to put it there—why didn't I have it in the arm like y'all?" she looked back to me.

I shrugged. "No idea.."

"Well… On the subject of this thing," she tapped the jewel, which looked as if it were some sort of opal-like stone with its white tainted with golden oranges and greens and pinks, "we've got power to get a handle on."

I laughed. "Yeah, that'll be easy."

"Easy or hard or medium or expert—we still gotta do it." Heather responded.

I dropped my head back. "I know. I just hope we don't destroy the house in the process."

Heather looked back at me like I was crazy. "Of course not. We have the old mansion for that." Then she smirked. I couldn't help but smile seeing it. Our spirits, slowly but surely, were showing themselves once more.

"Alright! Now that I've showed you all that, you ready?" Winter spoke passing the foyer then. She and Alex joined us in the living room, Alex wearing a pair of Winter's jean's and one of my shirts, her hair up in a ponytail and I noticed the white streaks and layer to the lower strands, and I couldn't help but wonder what exactly caused that.

"Yeah, I think so; but, can you elaborate on what your source of information is again? I don't think you ever did." Alex said, coming to the couch, inclining her head to me and the couch to ask permission. I adjust and nodded with a look that said of course and she came and sat in the middle of the couch.

"Yes, I can…but bear with me, okay? It's gonna seem like a joke." Winter told her, sitting on Alex's other side and facing her. Out of my peripheral, I saw Heather sliding and crawling to set up the DVD's and DVD player and TV, but I focused on Alex and her reaction as Winter began to explain. "Alright, so…before we came across that portal, and that world, and across all those people I told you are our good friends… Well, we knew about that world. Not perfectly, but decently well. And how we know about it, and those people too…was through a TV show. Specifically, an anime."

Alex stared at Winter in silence, took a breath like she was about to say something, but stopped. Then she opened her mouth. "…A…show..? You're… Well, you're not kidding.. But you gotta be. I mean, really? A TV show?" she laughed a bit, and Winter just nodded. "…How is that even possible? Like… Okay, that just doesn't make sense." Alex dropped her head in her hands. "Worldception, giving me a headache."

"Yeah, it'll do that." I told her, and she looked to me. "We still don't have answers. But we watched the show at a young age, and were fans for years, it's how me and Winter met Heather, actually. Believe you me, when we arrived there, and realized the connection—that it was the world and creatures and people from that show come to life, we went through many theories, for the whole first year before we just gave up trying to figure it out. Was it a portal that took inspiration for a world from our minds, and picked Shinzo from it?"

"Shinzo?" Alex asked.

"American name of the anime." Heather interjected and Alex slowly nodded.

"We also considered the possibilities of fate and all that jazz." Winter stated. "I mean, us just HAPPENING to witness a show, and become obsessed with it, and want it to be real—"

"Oh, I've had those fandoms." Alex interjected.

Winter laughed and went on. "Yeah…but imagine that fandom actually BEING real. Tangible, and ongoing, and growing. It was…crazy at first, but…it was something (by fate or not) that we'd ALWAYS wanted…so we just stop questioning it, and enjoyed it for what it was, a dream come true. So…would you like to watch it? It could fill in blanks and questions, and you could get to know the world a little without having to be directly involved."

Alex took a breath and sat back a bit more into the couch, considering this, and looked to the TV stand, where Heather sat, with her forefinger hovering over the play button. After a few moments of thought, Alex ended up nodding. "Yeah… Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"Don't worry, no creepy girls from wells will climb out of our TV." I stated.

Alex sighed, "Oh thank god."

With that, Heather pressed play and came quickly crawling back, where I almost kicked her because I hated when people crawled like that, too reminiscent of horror scenes. But as the episode eventually began, I felt like I was taken elsewhere. Not to Enterra, but I wasn't in our living room anymore. I was in one of my old homes with my parents, in my childhood living room, and I was a child again. I remembered all I'd been in awe of.

Of course we had to inform Alex of the repeat, and extended episodes in the first few. And apparently it had been too long since we'd actually watched; sooner than we thought, we saw a familiar scum; Dr. Parasite. I was curled a bit as I watched. It didn't help, with Kiri 'escaping', looking a mess.

Alex asked a few questions, like if all Enterran's had Hyper Forms, and we informed her that no, not all do. She asked about Yakumo in the middle of the show, remarking that she hadn't met her yet and wondered why. Of course, we told her she'd have to just watch to realize why (we'd eventually tell her Yakumo was a sore subjects she might want to refrain from speaking of).

Thankfully, with no commercials, the two seasons passed in the matter of the rest of the evening, the night, and into the early morning. None of us seemed disturbed by not sleeping, but I was pretty sure if I laid down, I could be taken under.

Every now and again, Alex would remark as to how she felt she must have seen a character with a similar design to Mushra's in another anime, but we didn't think much of it.

Until it came to the last few episodes, and Mushra began his battle against Lanancuras, especially when Mushra's Celestial self was returned. She burst out, even leapt from the couch as the sun was rising outside. "That was him, I saw him before! That was…that's the other design..! I've seen this before, oh my god! These episodes, this battle, I think—I never found it, I looked for it, but I was channel surfing and never figured out what it was… Oh my god… I saw this before…" She slowly sat down, and as Lanancuras and Mushra battled across Enterra, the three of us stared at her. None of us said anything, but I knew we were all thinking along the same lines. There's only so many coincidences you can have…

We gave Alex some time to take it all in once the show finished, and were there to answer whatever other questions she had. Like what we knew of normal animals, not humanoid ones. We told her, to our knowledge, most were used to create Enterrans, and if there were any we've not seen them ourselves, so they're most likely very rare. She asked about how Mushrambo was linked to the boys, and if they really joined to create another person, and we told her that by the Celestial Guardian's doing, they were able to yes. She wondered if she could ever see Mushrambo. She also commented on the fact that dinosaurs somehow made a reoccurrence, and dragons had come to life.

Of course we didn't have CONCRETE answers for that, because we hadn't studied enough about all the experiments done by the humans in that universe/timeline. But Heather's theory was that one of the scientists was a Jurassic Park fan and, with the lengths of science miracles accomplished, they took full advantage of their possibilities. And in finding that dinosaurs could be made, someone else took it further and started manipulating genes to create creatures that had only ever been fantasies before, or perhaps just extinct to us, like dragons and such.

Of course, after that, Winter was finally getting tired, and we took that initiative to go off to bed. We considered just setting up a place to sleep in the living room, but Alex made a good point about wanting a real bad. She assured us she'd be fine, Winter letting her know we'd be just upstairs, and Alex went off to the guest bedroom. Our goodnights were said, the doors were locked. With the comfort of home and my own bed, and my paranoia finally dying out and stopping telling me all would go to hell if I went to sleep, I finally fell under. And thank God or Guardians or whatever the hell, I slept without dreaming. I don't think I could handle what my unconscious mind could cook up at this point in my life.

I I I

The following few days, we spent the first few in bed, or in possibly over-done trips to the showers. And then the kitchens. And then back to bed. I knew if we kept this up, we'd get too used to it, too comfortable with it, and get stuck in a habit of it. But those days, it was as if all our energy for anything other than keeping ourselves clean, and fed, was out of supply.

We got a few calls on my phone that I'd forgotten I'd managed to get back. It had buzzed in my pocket when I was in the kitchen gorging on unneeded-yet-needed ice-cream, which caused me to curse through frozen mush and drop my spoon. The others had hurried in as I swallowed the freezing substance, gaining myself a brain-freeze.

"Ah-aaaah, ahhhhello..?" I greeted lamely.

"Jaden, what's wrong? Somethin' happen?" Binka asked form the other end.

"No, no. All fine." I assured her, and the others who'd joined me in the kitchen. "Something wrong with y'all?"

"Nothing different than our usual gathering of entail from the towns and cities. I just thought I'd check in on you guys. I miss the woman power here when it's just these idiots."

I laughed, and put the phone on speaker phone so everyone in the room could hear. "We're doing fine… Just…recuperating, you know." I leaned against the counter.

"By the way, Alex here—" Alex spoke up then. "Big fan of you and your use of the bazooka." She smirked.

"Oh, well, thank you!" you could hear the pride in Binka's voice. "Trust me; shooting trouble makers to keep them in line is great practice. I can lend you the bazooka to try if you'd like~."

We just laughed a bit.

"So, it's just you checking in? Anyone else needing to talk, cause if so, you can press speaker." Winter advised.

"Nah… Everyone else is busy. I'm supposed to be, but those boys SHOULD be able to handle themselves for a bit." Binka stated.

"Of course." Winter said, but there was a look on her face. She bit her lip, and then hurried to speak before anyone else could get started. "Is Xavier helping as well?"

There was a brief silence, before Binka answered. "Of course he is. He's back and forth a bit, but he comes around to offer help around the city since we've been preoccupied with getting updates and checking in on other towns. He sits in on some of our meetings on the VoVi," Vovi is their TV/Computer used for communicating in a Skype-like fashion—created and named by some of the New Yora bots and massed produced, named for 'Video Out, Video In', "gives a little feedback."

"Oh, good." Winter nodded, but I noticed the slump of her shoulders. She was obviously disappointed—maybe that he wasn't there to talk to her? But she shook it off swiftly enough, and spoke nothing of it for the rest of the call, or the day.

And that was how it was for some days. We'd get updates throughout our day, sometimes just Binka, sometimes with Kutaal, or the kittens. But never Sago or Mushra, or even Xavier. I had no idea why Xavier wouldn't want to check in other than being too busy. But I was pretty sure the other two were too worried they'd say something wrong, from how Binka spoke.

In time, it was Heather (of course) who pushed us out of our funk-habit. In her own special way.

There I was, lying in bed, thinking about my place in the world. When out of nowhere, I feel my mattress being yanked forward and before I could look down and accuse the yanker of disrupting my thoughts, Heather had jumped on me. After a tangled struggle of sheets and limbs, and a familiar maniacal laugh building up, it eventually became apparent she was 'gathering' me, with the others, whom she'd attacked similarly.

It had begun as a race, just to catch her and pay her back for the attack without reason. But the further we ran, down the dirt road and onto the asphalt, we weren't stopping, but naturally increasing. It became a race of pushing ourselves, our legs, our breathing, our muscles. Just how far and how fast we could go. And we went, and I wanted to go further, but Heather made a detour to the broken down mansion that held our way to Enterra. And that was when I realized what she'd done this for.

"We're something completely other now, guys, there's no denying it, and we gotta push past sulking over it." Heather stated through some huffs, though not harshly. She was right, even if my initial mental voice sassily remarked about how it was easier said than done. "Whether we stay in this world, return to going back and forth, or stay in the other; whatever we choose, we can't change what we've been made into. So help me get better at what I am now."

I looked to my friend, and my sister, and our new friend.

"Let's find ourselves again, together."

In time, our powers were really showing themselves, and we knew for sure each of our powers. I had fire, obviously. Winter had ice, also obviously. Alex had lightning. And Heather, almost contradictory to her jewel, had darkness as she'd thought.

And we learned very soon, we knew nothing about how to use the powers. Which was almost strange to me, at least applied to me, Winter, and Heather. Not that we were experts, but we HAD used the boys' powers when Ryuma had gifted them to us, and we'd handled them well enough. We did attacks, maybe not to the same power and strength, but our attacks still held strength.

And yet now, as we watched, our power either came out in pitiful spurts, or in uncontrollable blasts. Thank god winter had ice, or we would be getting a lecture from a ranger bear. By we, I mean me and Alex.

We were learning a bit about the power, though. Not enough, but some. We saw how far it could go, how dangerous it was, and we knew very well by now how it could be linked to our emotions. But the more trees that fell, especially ones that fell to close to us after we accidently blasted them, I knew I couldn't test much more.

I I I

I found that it didn't take too much time, maybe a week or two, before the comfort of home was only comfort—everything in our home seemed so dull and lonelier, and the practices at the mansion seemed to just become more and more tempting, as we were so close to the portal. By the end of the second week, me, Winter, and Heather were keeping to the house simply for Alex's sake. We weren't going to push her back into a world that scarred her before she was ready, IF she ever even wanted to go back.

It was a weekend, as I was sitting and checking my phone, Winter looking over one of her last attempts of cosplay work, and Heather snacking on some chips that would be getting gross soon. Alex had come to us, and informed us that she knew we were ready to head back to Enterra. We tried to deny it, but she knew.

"It's alright." She had said. She seemed to be mustering up something, and it wasn't until she looked us in the eyes that I realized it was courage she was mustering. "And I think…I want to go back to. I don't know, by being here, what I'm going to do with my future… I think I need to go back there, face things a bit…more.. To be sure."

Winter was the first to stand and go to her. "Of course. That sounds like a good idea. It could help, now that you've seen all its sides through the show, maybe you can look to that world differently once you're in it again." She put a hand to Alex's shoulder, rubbing it a bit supportively.

She nodded and smiled to Winter. "Yeah. Exactly. So—whenever you guys are ready, I am." She nodded.

"You know what, GROUP HUG YOU GUYS." Heather suddenly exclaimed, and laughing, we followed suit, my friend ramming into us of course, because it's Heather.

Making our way to the mansion the next morning, I was realizing that the travel there was nothing to me anymore. It was more of a brisk walk, and I have to say, that was nice. We were there in a matter of minutes, and having moved aside rubble to make way towards the portal by now, all we had to do was climb down to it and leap through.

Fun as ever, of course. Experimented on, advanced, almost mutant level as I was now (hybrid, I know, I know)…and I still had problems with heights and discomfort with lack of control when floating and/or falling.

Thankfully, this time around, I had a grip on the landing. Right as I felt the oncoming drop, I tried to right myself as much as I could to the position I felt I knew would be upright once I was thrown from the portal. Well, mostly. I landed on my hands and knees, but still, at least not on my side or back, or worse, my head.

I felt achieved by this, but my attention was brought up as I heard Winter whimper.

I looked around, and noticed the scars. That's what I felt they were. Slightly still present marks in the ground where the centipedes had run along and chased after us. Some of the dirt clawed and disrupted. And the trees, broken down and bent and fallen. I thought I even saw some scales of the beasts stuck in some of the bark. I shivered.

"Let's just get down the hill." I stood, and began making my way down first, and I heard the others follow suit. Our travel down to the outskirts of the city seemed faster, as well, but I didn't know if that was an increase like our travel to the mansion, or more of our need to get away from the hill as fast as possible.

"And here we return, to New Yora." I state 'excitingly' as we reentered.

"Oh. Okay, I get it now." Alex speaks as if she'd just had a revelation and it took me a second to realize she'd made the connection with the name and what it was reminiscent of, even if the city wasn't AS big, it was itself also reminiscent of New York in its own Enterran way.

"So, we'll stop by Xavier's and go see the others, sound good?" Winter suggested.

"Actually…" Alex began, and we looked back to her. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving me a tour of the city… See the people…?"

Winter slowly began to look excited, and I didn't blame her. I myself was feeling proud of our new friend—she was willing to tour the city, mingle with the people that once struck fear into her. She was trying, so hard. She was a strong woman.

"We'll do it." I answered for Winter, who was nodding excitedly.

"Well, first things first; armory shops! You gotta see their armor and weapon's!" Heather came up to Alex, who laughed in surprise at her excitedness.

"Their clothes, too! Their designs are so interesting, and innovative!" Winter offered.

Alex looked to me as if waiting for me to suggest something and I shrugged. "I like the armor and clothes, too. The food court is awesome, though; they have entertainment of all sorts, battles that are sometimes like boxing, sometimes like wrestling (I.E., one's fake fighting for show, the other is real and it takes volunteers). Sometimes they do elemental shows though, too. Think of it as their version of visual arts with interpretive dance and stuff, except instead of props, they use elements. Then again, that's just for the Enterrans who have their power in normal form as well of Hyper." I told her as we began walking.

She nodded. "Oh yeah, Sago did say that was rare." She remembered what he'd said before we'd left.

"Yup yup." I nodded.

"Do you have a thing for Sago?"

Was it possible to have a heart attack without having a heart attack? Moreover, how could I still have that freaking reaction after so many years, and especially recent events? I inwardly told myself I hadn't just had that inner reaction. Though of course, I nearly stopped in my tracks, but did my best not to let myself. I did trip up a little though. "What makes you think that?" I asked, not looking at her and instead, looking ahead and not reacting—not in the face, at least.

"You laughed and smiled a lot at his scenes when we were watching. Just like Heather did with Mushra's." she stated, an amused smirking smile on her lips.

That's what happens when I let myself be reduced to my younger self while watching that show. I sighed and nodded. "I did when I was younger, yeah. Big thing. Heather for Mushra, just as big."

"Hey!"

"What, she already called you out."

"Rude."

I rolled my eyes and went on. "But yeah, just one of those old animated character crushes, you know?"

Alex turned around, facing me as she walked backwards. "Yeah, I know…except, you also know, he's real. So I can't help but be curious as to what that does to that 'old animated character crush'." She was still smirking.

"…Thanks to that smirk of yours, you will never know." I countered, raising my brows dramatically.

"So you're saying you're not thirsty for him at all anymore?"

…Did…did she just make a water Enterran pun? I didn't know if I was embarrassedly annoyed, or enviously giving props as I hadn't thought of that before.

I narrowed my gaze.

"…Alex, take this from Jaden's sister who has experience with that look. You should run." Winter warned her, and rightly so. Alex kept backing up, giggling a little.

And then I stomped my foot, making a charge for her, and she leapt into a run. That's when I stopped and kept with the other two who started laughing, watching with a wide grin of satisfaction as Alex ran further and further away, from nothing.

After the hey of accusation, we moved along, making it to the string of clothing stores and armory stores (some of them side by side, of course, as their fashion and garments, for good reason, consisted of clothing, under clothing, and armor). We had some fun in there. I was beginning to wonder why we'd never bought anything from these stores—we'd been coming here long enough. I know Winter had gotten just a few things of clothing for cosplay and fashion purposes, thanks to Sago helping her out with the money for it. I found myself browsing more than I was showing anything off to Alex. Purple's, blacks, reds, gold's—they all looked so interesting, and promising. Heather, too, was looking at blacks, reds, and oranges. Winter and Alex entertained their eyes with varying shades of blues, Alex leaning towards the darker, Winter towards the lighter.

We were so on the verge of considering purchasing some of these clothes when Heather reminded us of the armor next door, an extending section of this store. And of course, we were there just as long, if not more.

We found we were getting hungry again once we left the promising weapons and nicely flexible armor attachments. So of course, our next stop was the food court, which I was excited to show Alex to. First of course, was the many places for food of varying sorts. Many different goods from different cultures, and some new, and they all seemed to mesh now as the cultures had changed and died out by now, and had been expanded upon.

So many restaurants and venders and spots with chef's cooking openly for show as well as for service. I felt almost sad Kutaal couldn't be among them…he enjoys himself so much here…

The further we looked, I couldn't shake the growing worrying and wondering about the boys and Binka and the kittens. What were they doing? I know we needed to get away, but what if they'd needed us while we were gone? Sure , Ryuma and what allies he'd gathered, mainly just Parasite, had been the only threat, but Mushra…he seemed so sure there was more stirring. That serious side that I was very firm in believing was more his Celestial side of who he was now, it was so constant lately. Just that simple fact was cause for worry.

We ate, Alex and Heather both sampling a few places that were offering a few free meals today (thankfully). We went for a show next. The dancers weren't there, so we had to settle for the wrestling-style fighting. Even if I could see how fake it was, it was better than the ridiculous crap on WWE.

Once people started dispersing from the finished show, Alex took initiative and began talking with Enterran's about the battles. And we caught up with a few of the Enterran warriors that we and the boys sparred with in the training gym who were passing through. I noticed how Alex seemed stiffer, in how she stood while talking, and how nervous her laughs seemed. But she was holding it together so well, especially against the more animal and bug like Enterran's. I had to openly give props to her for talking to an arachnid Enterran, which I myself kept from doing.

Finally, though, we were making our way back to the apartments. First heading for Xavier's, we stopped in our trek when we noticed a hover bus being loaded up with a few small crates, and hyper Enterrans. And Mushra was at the end, helping load, and giving orders. We all came over, Heather running up in curiosity.

"Hot head, what's up?" she called, just after he caught sight of her. He seemed happily surprised when he realized we were all back. It was kinda cute.

"Heather, guys, hey!" he greeted, as Heather came to stop just in front of him—like, right in front of him, standing with her hands on her hips expectantly. They stared each other down (up for Heather) for a moment.

She gave him a look that said 'I'm waiting'. "What is up, home dog?" she said slowly.

His brows furrowed at that. "Home..?"

"Ignore it." I advised.

He shook his head, and looked to the men and women climbing into the van, then back to us as we stopped near him, though giving him more space than Heather. "We're sending some Enterrans to each of the towns we're in contact with, so they can spread out and get more thorough, sure entail on what's going on in the cities and towns, without putting the towns people out with extra responsibilities. We decided on this just a few days ago; me or Kutaal will be going with, to get some direct answers, as…well, he, Sago, and I are some of the few who'd really have any sense for what could be unbalanced in this world, since we've seen it all already. I just can't sit by and risk something in this world going wrong as it has before—it's my job to defend it, and I won't turn a blind eye."

Heather nodded understandingly. That made sense, and was a smart move on their part. They weren't going to let anything slip up. They'd grown in so many ways from the boys we watched on a TV screen.

But I noticed Heather watching the hover van. And the longer she watched, I noticed the bouncing. She was bouncing and rocking on the balls of her feet, an impatient habit of hers. She wanted to be climbing on that van, I could tell. Remembering how bad we wanted to learn to fight, to be like those Enterran warriors, just weeks and weeks ago, I could understand. It just wasn't as strong for me right now.

"Do you leave today?" Winter asked.

Mushra nodded. "Yep. The van will be leaving in a few hours, as soon as everything's loaded and me and Kutaal decide who goes."

"With your hand jousting?" I asked with a taunting smile. We'd had fun over the years teasing them, as to us their version of rock, paper, scissors seemed silly. But they felt just the sound about our version.

He narrowed his eyes. "If we choose, yes. Much simpler rules."

"You think there'll be any fights out there?" Heather asked then, bringing Mushra's attention back.

"Maybe, maybe not. If anyone's stupid enough." He folded his arms with a confident smirk (his arms flexing on purpose or not in the process was debatable), but the smirk wavered into a small smile as he watched Heather. "…It'd probably be best that you guys not go…" he stated, and Heather stopped her bouncing, though she still watched with a sad longing as weapons were packed in.

"Yeah, I know…"

"Yet."

She tore her eyes away from the van and looked to Mushra. Even I was surprised and looking to him with confusion. Before any of us could ask what he meant, he went on.

"In the meantime, though—training can be started back at any time…whenever you girls would be ready. We are more evenly matched now, so it should be a more exciting fight, most likely." He taunted, smiling down at Heather.

Who then leapt up with a happy cheer of "YES!" and "WOOO HOO, Heather's gonna kick some Enterran butts!" that just had Mushra shaking his head, and of course we joined in with a few awesomes; even I was excited and could help but smirk thinking of getting another go at showing our strength. We had more strength to show now. It might even help.

"We'll see, short stuff. First spar-off?" he raised his fist to her, smiling with his own excitement and joy that mirrored Heathers' own.

Heather pounding her fist to his, and he surprisingly winced a bit in surprised, which made her even more happy.

"You're on, shrimp."

 **Mushra: when will it die out… *trying to erase shrimp*  
Me: if I have my way, never.  
Mushra: I really hate you right now.  
Me: I know you do ^^ I hope these chapters are still holding up. I'm just trying to give some proper recovery time, you know? After a few more chapters or more, maybe, we'll get past the recovery-and-extra-stuff and start picking up the pace, so stay with me!  
Mushra: you don't have to stay, run while you can—  
Me: REVIEW IF YOU'D LIKE. **


	4. Ep4-That Strength Destined

**Me: shorter than the others, I don't know if that's a disappointment or a relief to readers XD  
Mushra: a relief to me, because for guardian's sake, you ramble.  
Me: Yeah, well, you're not my target audience, so there.  
Mushra: yeah, but your target audience loves me, so be kind.  
Me: rewind.  
Mushra: what?  
Me: ENJOY!  
**

Chapter 4 – That Strength Destined

"I can't say we've seen or gotten any more word of larger scale disruptions from this island. Not from Rusephine's temple's or from Franken's domain of the seas." Exandria spoke among the four boxes holding three Enterran's and a robot on the screen of the Vovi, her wings ruffling a bit in the background.

They all had covered relaying what they knew of Kutaal's travel to check in on things with other Enterrans and what they'd gotten from his men; Zortown was still mending, and it seems like all the responsibilities of rebuilding was set on the soldiers and men left who had previously followed Ryuma—the towns people offered no aid, and complied with some of the robot security sent to defend and watch over them against Ryuma's men, keep them inline.

"Though, I can't trust all the information coming about the bird Queen from my end, this island's closer to Franken's domain than Rusephine's." Exandria admitted. "All our problems come from shotty exchanges of goods, mishaps with importation and exportation, and the like."

Binka nodded, resisting the urge to sigh. If Mushra said there was something up, then there had to be. There was distance between Exandria's sea-town and the two Queen General's kingdoms—surely something could have gone amiss. There's one person who would know it better, being just a bit closer to at least one General. She crossed her arms as her gaze fell on Bolt. "What about you, sparky?"

"I've asked you not to call me that." Bolt reminded her with his even-more-buzzing voice (the sound to it over-emphasized over the Vovi), rolling his robotic eyes—he looked no older than what had been described to Binka before she met him, nor when she finally met him. He'd had some updates here and there, adding limbs that were more armored , or getting some advanced hardware for the cranium area, but he still looked like a young boy, even if a robotic one. "And Exandria's right—Rusephine's actually been more settled and content than I've ever seen her, in this time or the other… We bots, humans, and avian Enterran's have been living in the greatest time of peace the past few months."

Binka shook her head, before shrugging and trying to contain her reaction, putting on a brief smile. "Well, I'm thankful for that for you guys. What about you, Gerran? Anything?"

The great beast of an Enterran grunted and rolled his eyes. "A few idiots, hot-heads, and cocky bastards running amok with theft from businesses and people on the streets, and starting alley fights. No naughty General's to report. Diehanger's just as pushy, but settled in pushiness as usual. Can't say for Kimylas, though."

Binka nodded at that. Kimylas…he was suspect enough, Phantom beast Enterran General? He's got all matter of dark, twisted subjects under him. She was quiet in consideration for a moment, thinking on the Phantom General, before looking up to Kahl. "And Daku? Surely he's had some outrage, if not recently, than however many months back when Parasite left his side."

"He did. Punished a great many of his own men for it, most of them having nothing to do with Parasite or who had worked with him. He sent people to look for him, but gave it up soon after. Must have decided he wasn't worth the effort. He's settled, as well. At least, as settled as a ruler as him can be. Or any of these asshole's who decide to claim titles as Generals; how do they even get given these damn rankings?" the moth Enterran complained, aggravated.

Binka shrugged her shoulders, laying her hands on her hips. "Who even knows. But they got the titles, no matter how. Plenty to do with their power, I'm sure; which is why your eyes always need to stay open!"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am." They all sarcastically answered, even Bolt.

Narrowing her gaze, she sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Alright—what about the smaller areas? Maybe it's not just Generals… The bigger cities, the Victorion's, those pompous, cocky jerks—sometimes I think Sago spent some time with them…" she sidetracked briefly, before looking back and waiting for responses.

Most of them shook their heads; accept for Gerran, who shrugged. "Nothing beyond what's been going on for years, no matter how much your boy's want to keep the peace for their human—"

"She wasn't their _human,_ " Binka interrupted, stepping closer to the video and communication device, and defense and passion was in her very stance, not to mention her expression, "she was their friend, and if it wasn't for HER, this world would be worse off—or would you have liked to have gone a round against the rouge Celestial Guardian Lanancuras yourself, Gerran?"

He held his tongue, both realizing he'd spoke wrong, but not fully caring. Though he cared enough, and was smart enough to be careful with the rest of his sentence. "My bad…I was only saying, things are as peaceful as they can be, sure—still doesn't mean they're great. People in power aren't ever gonna be perfect, and more often they're harsh hands. But that's nothing more than what's expected. I think Mushra's just too spooked by old Ungar's power too much." He admitted his opinion, putting his hands on his hips importantly. "Theft, unruly men and women, and a few harsh rulers are nothing we haven't been surviving against. If he wants to get off his butt to start dealing with things again instead of spending time with his girlfriend's, he should get on top of those damn assassins."

Binka was about to snap at him, yet again, of his comment about her friends (what did he have against human's and their bonds with Enterran's?), but his last word caught her attention before she could get her voice to the right scolding octave. "What assassins? The heck are you doing just mentioning them now?!"

"I thought you all would have got word of'em by now!"

"You really think we'd be sitting around if we had!?"

Gerran just shrugged at this, as if to say, 'Well…'.

She shook her head. "Well, mind filling me in NOW, so I can pass along the information to the others?"

"I've barely heard much about them other than they've taken down some rare rouges that were causing trouble for people up in Victorion, or of the like—some sort of princes of a small land off in some canyon somewhere. I've never been there, but heard it's a tough place. Small, minimal, but rough territory. They don't even claim name to themselves or their home."

"Another thing you just conveniently let slip?" Binka raised a brow, and though Gerran couldn't see it, she was tapping her foot impatiently. How could they not have known about another small civilizations? Sure, Enterra's a bit place, always had been, but hard work had been put into trying to connect to these many places as much as possible.

He disregarded her irritation. "Again—woulda thought you guys got word. Anyways. From what I've heard, the people there like to keep hidden—come off rough and tough and shady for that reason, maybe…and I've heard account from a friend, its 'cause half of them, young folk's but growing…are the children of Enterran's and Kadrian's. Must've comingled before you and the others went on your journey to take down the alien's and their leader. And those twins were the first children, their parents or guardian's having founded their little haven. The assassins have been in hiding and missing for a while, and it's left those with knowledge of them uneasy."

Binka couldn't believe this. She was near wishing she was talking to Gerran face to face, to give him a little meet and great with her favorite weapon of choice… Enterran-Kadrian spawn? Princely assassins? Who knows what trouble this could spell…?!

"Well this is just great and dandy…!" she paced a bit, shaking her head endlessly. She looked to the others, considering interrogating them as to if they heard word too, and if she might give them ALL a talking too. Instead, though, she moved closer to the device, preparing to end the calls. "Fine. I'm taking this information to Mushra and we'll do what we need with it—thanks, all, for the information—and don't forget to Keep. Your eyes. Open! We'll check in again soon."

They all nodded and went offline, as she shut the call off on her end. Her hand found its way back to her neck, and she paced for a moment as she rubbed it. Giving a sighing grunt of irritation, she went and sat on the table and her hand found its way to her pants' belt. There hung a few spare grenades to the right of her hip (just in case), but to the left she had hanging a jewel.

She brought it before her after unhooking it, and held it in her hands. It would almost be a tear-shape, if it weren't for the edges of the tear coming and curving up to points. Once it was nothing but a decorative attachment to a shirt, once it didn't even have the shining, glimmering, rainbow jewel. But now it was hers, because she needed at least one thing, beyond just her memories, to keep that beautiful angel of a woman close to her.

She stared at Yakumo's chest jewel as she spoke. "…We've been trying, Yakumo…so hard. You'd be so proud of the boys. And me," she laughed sadly, "I've kept them nice and in line. And we've all been trying to take care of your home. Our home… But I don't know what's happening now, or what's coming, or if we're just being overly suspicious of these…things that have happened… Just keep an eye on us, where ever you are. Help guide us, like you did before. We could sure use it right now…"

I I I

I sat watching, as I'd mostly been doing the past few days we'd been coming back to the training gym. I realized how long it'd been, a few months, since we'd been here (minus Alex, who's first time was now with us). We, mainly me and Heather, had been so impatient to get out there and apply what we'd learned and knew about defense and battle and we'd left this place behind.

I was glad to be back, in a way. It felt safer, at least for me—battle practice in a place that was solely meant for the practice. Being out in the open just made me feel like I could be attacked at any moment, which now brought me discomfort. Yet as comfortable as I felt here, I was yet still uncomfortable enough that I would not join the others. Not our old spar buddies who were left that didn't go scouting the towns with Kutaal. Not Winter and Alex as my sister was giving her slow but informative lessons she'd gotten in her time training. And not Heather, who now was doing some hand to hand combat with Mushra.

Yet I was restless. I hated this, all of this right now. My limbs ached to act out, but my mind was too scared to let them.

I watched as Heather took a kick to the rib and a punch to the face. I mentally commended Mushra, he didn't seem to be holding back as much, if at all. And it didn't change Heather's battle spunk, if not, it was bringing it back; she dropped to the ground and spun to trip him up, leaping on top of him and she raised her fist. It hovered, before she lowered it and climbed off of him with a proud grin on her lips. They commended one another before starting again.

"Jaden—not joining in the fun?"

I looked up as Binka entered the gym, coming over to me with a raised brow and a questioning smirk on her face. I shrugged with a weak smile. "I'm working up to it…"

Binka sat then, and I kept looking to her as she asked, "Where's Sago? Thought he'd be training, too."

"He's checking in at the City Hall." I told her—checking in being what we called it when he or the other two boys solely or collectively brought the business men and authorities in charge in New Yora to get reports on any crime or complaints or needs from the civilians; just the business of keeping small civilizations running, those sorts of things.

She nodded. "Keep forgetting when those are—glad I don't have to go."

"Something tells me they tend to almost forget them, too." I smiled a little. "They really never seemed to be organizing type, did they?"

Binka laughed. "That they did not. Well, Sago, maybe. Kutaal with food, sure. But…yeah, they weren't ones to stick to order and schedules. Neither was I, though."

I just chuckled. We were silent for a moment, looking to the others training. I watched with longing and apprehension, which just made me want to sulk in a corner.

"You know, I never understood why you guys wanted different strength than what you had." Binka suddenly said, tearing me from my imaginings of myself in a similar position as Tamaki in his emo corner. I watched her in confusion as she continued, looking to me. "I mean, heck—I have human strength just like you all did, and I've made use of it and my man-made resources. Kicked plenty of butt and gotten things done with it, so I wondered why couldn't y'all?"

I was confused by this; was she asking a question, or was it a rhetorical statement? I almost felt offended, like she was judging me and the others, but I guess she had a point…

I heard an aha from Mushra and look up to see him pining Heather to the ground face first, winning that sparring match. He caught sight of Binka and nodded, speaking briefly to Heather once she was standing again and he walked to the corner as Binka stood.

"But," Binka continued, looking down to where I sat, a small smile on her face and I swear, the look on her face, it was so kin to a knowing, gentle, and faithful looking Yakumo, "I think maybe the strength you all have now…maybe you were meant to have it."

I could only stare at her. I said nothing, as it was too conflicting a thought, no matter if it made sense or not.

She shrugged. "Just a thought. Talk to you later, Jaden." She turned and headed to join Mushra, engaging quickly in conversation once she reached him that began to seem to become serious.

I look down at my hands, and the claws there where once I only ever had nails trimmed and never-long nails. Was I meant for this? Were we all? Meant to endure pain, for _this_?

I didn't think for much longer, as my melancholy thoughts were interrupted again by nearing footsteps and I looked to meet the gaze of my friend. My friend who was looking very expectant with her narrowed gaze and hands on hip.

"…What?"

"Get off your butt, that's what."

Sarcastically, I stood. "Off my butt."

"Hahaha! You crack me up!" she laughed mockingly, but the fake laugh left a smile. She nudged my shoulder (that wasn't implanted) and nodded back to the mats. "Come on—lets spar. I think you've done enough studying of everyone's tactics, sitting in your little corner."

"Aw, but I was just trying to figure out the secret to that endless energy of yours." I countered, the banter of it feeling so natural, and good.

That's when she suddenly took my left arms in the grip of both of hers and began tugging me towards the mats, with me resisting a bit. "SPAAARRRR. SPAAAAARRRRRR."

"Heather, come on, I don't—I don't know about this.."

"Pleeeeaaase?" she begged, still pulling, and I couldn't help still being amazed that someone so small had such strength. She looked up to me. "PLEEEAAAAASEEE?" her voice when up an octave. "I promise I'll go easy~."

I gave her a look, and willingly went the rest of the way, and she released me as I said, "Oh, well, don't bother doing me any favors."

She smiled excitedly, getting ready into her stance. I began getting into mine, trying to remember how I used to set myself before. I tried it, but it didn't feel right, and I found myself adjusting a bit. Eventually I settle with a half crouch, my fists at the ready.

I suddenly felt a lurch, though. One of the things that had kept me on the bench was the reoccurring sight of what happened to the trees back on Earth. "…Heather, I don't know about this… What if I—"

Heather shook her head, looking determined in her battle mode, but she spoke calmly and kept at the ready. "Don't think about that. Just think about how it was before, and how much we wanted to be able to do back then. That's all you need to think about. Now you can either kick my butt, or I can kick yours—your choice…. Let's go!"

She launched at me, at a run, and I turned out of the way. She seemed to expect that, as at the last minute, she stalled her heels and shot herself sideways to shove me partly, nearly knocking me back into Alex. I apologized as I settled myself, and I ran after Heather, raising a hand like a claw—before I caught myself, curling it into a fist and going for a punch, but missing. I caught and steadied myself well enough, turning to face Heather with fists up. I could feel myself warming then, with the little mini rushes of adrenaline or just blood running from doing activity I was unused to.

"H-Heather, I can feel that heat, I don't think I can—"

"Yes, you can." Heather half grunted, out of exertion as she threw some hits at me, which I blocked most of them, aside from a hit to the side of my head that nearly brought lights, and then a kick to my leg that made me stagger back.

"Heather—"

"I know, Jaden." She stopped briefly, though she paced me in a circle and I paced her. "I'm scared, too, I've been scared. I've noticed the power surging when I get taken down, or hit unexpectedly. I've notice the dark aura now and again, but I can't let it hold me back. If I keep letting it, then it always will." She told me, and I swallowed. "And I'm not going to let it. I'm not leaving Enterra because of this. So I'm gonna fight it, and I'm gonna conquer it. And I'm going to make sure you do it too, Jaden, because I know the love I hold for this place…and I know you hold it just as close to your heart as I do."

I felt the sting in my eyes, and balled my fists tighter. I almost tripped up in my pacing, but I kept going.

"Let's do this, alright…?"

I nodded. Taking a breath and shutting my eyes, desperately trying to muster any and all strength, of any and all form that I could possibly contain. I needed every bit of it right now more than ever in my life, I think. I opened my eyes and stopped my pace, which stopped Heathers, and then we launched at each other.

I stomped her foot which surprised her, and then spun an elbow to the face, which had her staggering back. I went for a punch to her stomach, and I got one in before I took a hit to the jaw that rocked me around before steadying again. I felt the burn in my chest that had less to do with human reaction linked to my emotions and everything to do with my power linked to all of me. I took a shaky breath and kept on, though, finding it just a smidge easier to do so as I swung another few hits that were block, but not the kick I shot at her ribs which curled her and I shoved her to the a ground, coming at her.

"You will fight!"

I was stalled again, the voice I just heard, sounding far off, almost unreal, but unnervingly familiar.

"Do as you are told! Or that nightmare of yours WILL become your reality!"

 **Ryuma.** My throat goes dry as I take a step back, which brings Heather enough time to move to stand once more as I battle against the voice that had told me to kill the woman before me. That voice which had pushed this woman to nearly consider giving her life so me and my sister could survive together. That voice that began my hell.

But began the heaven that was Enterra as well, another voice spoke in my head as I just narrowly avoided a right hook to the nose, and I shoved Heather aside, staggering back and haphazardly preparing my defense. I didn't know who's voice it was in my head then, but I listened to it as it reminded me of the very fact that my first episode was of Ryuma throwing the dark card. His episodes were my first glimpse of the men I'd come to love, and the world I'd ached to be in.

A world that, even having watched the show over once more, I'd forgotten the wonder of. I caught Heather's fist, threw a punch myself, only for her to catch my fist as well.

I'd forgotten it all. As I began to swing myself and Heather to get her off balanced, I wished and begged deep within myself to whatever sources above of whatever degree—maybe, just maybe, I could start reminding myself.

 **Me: again, sorry if the pace of this isn't agreeing with you T^T but I feel like I need work out their trauma a bit before I get to anything—trying to be as realistic as is possible.  
Mushra: yes, because walking talking bugs and dragons and elemental manipulation is the norm in your boring world.  
Me: again, as realistic as possible, is what I said. If we wanna get more realistic, you wouldn't have grown taller *lying, but don't tell him that*  
Mushra: WHAT?!  
Me: yeah, so you should appreciate that little gift!  
Mushra: I…..  
Me: hope you all enjoyed, look for the next chapter, review if you liked~! **


	5. Ep5-When You Play With Fire

**Me: also short but, on word, just a page longer than the last, ha! XD  
Mushra: You lied about the height thing  
Me: sure did  
Mushra: I will repay you for this. You will pay—oh this chapter has fire in the title?  
Me: yup yup, and for good reason, so read on! BTW, it starts in third person and then switches to first~ ENJOY!  
Mushra: they could enjoy if you stopped being so flip floppy with point of view.  
**

Chapter 5 – When You Play With Fire

The great feline Enterran saw the edge of the city ahead as their hover bus was drawing closer and closer. He looked to the other Hyper Enterran's sitting with him—he'd left with about twenty men and women, not including himself, and was coming back with three others. He was sure he made the right choices in assigning the others.

Upon arriving in New Yora, he dismissed the others after thanking them for their work, and told them he would find them after speaking with Sago and Mushra of what they'd learned, and he'd inform them of what their next step would be. The bus was still half-loaded, and Kutaal left it that way as he made his march towards the apartments. Some of the civilians turned their gazes, not used to seeing the sizable feline chef and warrior dressed in armor unless in his hyper form which he was not currently in. He'd remove it once home, but he had worn it as a precaution during their scouting.

"Hmmm…would they even be home…?" he wondered to himself, considering as he was getting closer, when he heard the squeal of three kittens calling and racing his way. "Little ones!" he saw them just ahead, running down past the buildings in a small yellow mass with pastel-like colors making up their clothing.

He knelt down and they all leapt on him, Rei and Sen upon his shoulders while Este cuddled into his arms.

"Uncle, did you card anyone?!"

"Did you battle?"

He shook his head, laughing. "Ooho, no, no. No battles, and no one was carded, I assure you."

"Then why wear the armor!" Sen questioned.

"To be prepared, of course!" he replied confidently. "Besides, if I learned anything from my travel's with Yakumo, no one takes a big feline seriously unless that feline gives off a feeling of strength and confidence! My normal wardrobe only shows of my chef talents…" his ears drooped.

"It's okay, uncle Kutaal! Your armor makes you look big and strong!" Este assured him, nuzzling and smiling up to him, which earned a smile back.

"And what have you three been up to? No good, I fear." He questioned as he set to walking again, having no problem carrying them as he walked.

"We've just been enjoying the city life, uncle, nothing else!" Rei told him as he hung to his shoulder armor.

"Is that so…"

"Yeah! We even helped this old lady bug cross the street!" Sen told him.

Kutaal nodded, as if he believed them, before looking down to Este.

"They were playing Knock, Knock & Run all day today and they only helped the lady bug across the street to not look suspicious." Este ratted out on them, just as Kutaal knew she would.

"ESTE!" her brothers complained and she just raised her head proudly.

Kutaal shook his head. "Play too much like that, and you'll find yourselves in a very sticky situation that I may not be able to get you out of. I implore the three of you to BE CAREFUL, and look out for one another!" he told them, and earned exasperated yes sir's from the boys, and a more believable one from Este.

"So are you making a welcome home feast for yourself tonight?" Sen asked after some brief time of scolded silence.

"Well, of course! That is, after I speak with Sago and Mushra, and Binka. Business must, sadly, come first!" He told him, feeling a lurch of excited hunger at the thought of a good, rewarding meal. Especially after his trip—he'd done the best with what he had in their traveling and with the time they had, of course, but it fell so short in comparison. "You three wouldn't happen to know where they are, would you?"

"City Hall, all three of them actually." Sen informed him.

"Uncle, uncle, can we pick the meal?" Este chimed up then.

"And we can get it started for you, too!" Rei offered.

Kutaal chuckled proudly. "Oh, but of course. Surprise me! I will join you three as soon as business is done with the others."

The kittens leapt off him with a cheer of excitement and began racing ahead of him, making their way home. And Kutaal set his path towards City Hall. Thankfully, it wasn't too, too far from home, as they made sure to settle in a place close enough to such a place of authority and public audience—the heart of the city. He caught a smaller scale hover bus heading that way, thankful as always that his authority and role in the city gave him VIP status to such simple things—i.e., he paid nothing to ride.

It was a matter of minutes, and he hopped off the vehicle, marching his way up the steps to the Hall doors, only to find the three people he was looking for were standing outside together in deep conversation. Deep enough that, even with the sound of his great feet and the minimal but still present clank of his armor, they did not look up.

He caught briefly the end of what they were discussing as he neared.

"An obscure town in a canyon? Was Gerran sure about this?" Sago asked.

"He hadn't seen it with his own eyes, so I can't be sure, but he seemed to believe his friends who'd supposedly seen it and had knowledge on it." Binka shrugged.

"Yeah, well, it's one thing to hear about it being seen and to see it yourself." Mushra retorted, doubt heavy in his voice.

"Yeah, well, we're hearing about things from each of our allies and trusting most of it without seeing it ourselves, Mushra." Sago pointed out, even if he seemed doubtful as well. He was looking over his younger friend when he spotted the great feline coming to join them. "Kutaal! About time you made it back. And just in time."

"As I can see." He commented about their conversation as the others all turned to him. "What is this talk of canyon town?" his ears perked up a bit in interest.

Binka rolled her eyes on the subject, feeling doubt as equally as she felt frustrated worry at the possibility of its existence. "Our good friend Gerran just decided to inform of us this town, its inhabitants, and its produced assassins just all of a sudden during our last session." She began. "He said he thought we knew—I swear Mushra, if we ever visit him again, I'm gonna need some one on one time, you should have HEARD his tone, and what he was saying!"

"I'm sure that time will come, Binka, let's stick to the subject." Sago advised.

She sighed and nodded, very briefly (and barely) calming before she continued. "Well, apparently its somewhere in between his location and Victorion City. And half, if not most of its inhabitants are half-Enterran…and half-Kadrian…"

"Oh, no!" Kutaal gasped.

"Yeah. Bad news, if that's true. And if it's true, then the founders also had little princes that have grown into assassins that get paid by Victorion's to take down Enterrans. From how Gerran brought it across, it sounded like their targets might be criminals and rouges, but we can't be sure—I mean, it's assassination not matter the facts." Binka finished.

"Oh, how horrible… I do hope this is just some sort of spook story…" Kutaal shook his head.

"So do I." Mushra commented. "Or we'll have even more on our plate to get a handle on… But if it comes to be true, we'll face it just like we face anything else."

"Of course we will!" Kutaal nodded, proudly giving a beat to his chest to attest to that.

"Binka didn't get much more from the session, either, so… What did you got for us?" Sago asked then, and Kutaal stood proudly, taking a breath as he began.

"Well, only a fraction returned with me, and they are ready and willing to travel again if needed." He started. "I left most of them in the few sections that gave me suspicion, as well as worry for the people, and I left them with the small scale Vovi's for communication. Only a few places, but even so. Xavier stayed in one of the smaller sections and said he will take responsibility for communications."

The others nodding along, listening.

"There weren't many differences from what our sources have been informing us of and what I saw. Petty crimes and civil disobedience to certain degrees, but nothing more and I did what I could in helping with that." He informed them, and then his face scrunched a bit. "But, there were a few that gave me pause."

"Why?" Mushra asked, standing straighter then, and listening more intently.

"Most of the people were cooperative, but some…some tried to avoid me, or seem unwilling to be addressed. This was suspicious enough, that I sought out each one. And what they could tell me, it was so abstract! But, what I understand of it sets me on edge." He shook his head. "There was a woman who recalled strange sightings on one of her travels. A few times, actually. And though only a few, they had once specific detail. One she said sounded like the growling of the earth around her, and another she said she was sure she saw some strange glowing man. Both times, there was a glowing light around the area; she said the light was pink or purple in nature… And then in another town that never crossed the same set paths of the woman's home town, some kids saw something similar! A weird form, wrapped in the light. It vanished, reappeared once more, and then vanished completely. They say it was like nothing they'd seen, or heard, before. And each of them spoke of an unsettlement in the air…"

"Dark Enterrans, maybe? If it's purple energy they saw…" Sago suggested.

"It's very possible, but how can we really say for sure..? Or if that was even a malevolent being? Not all dark Enterran's are exactly bad; look at Mushrambo." Binka pointed out.

"You didn't see his past where he almost killed Yakumo when she was a child."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but didn't your celestial knowledge bring to the surface the fact that Lanancuras had influence over the Generals? Maybe Mushrambo's dark intentions were brought out by him, and not Mushrambo himself…"

"I can't be sure, not all my memories and knowledge from that life are concrete up here." Mushra tapped his head but shrugged. "But I understand your point. Either way, it's something that needs to be looked into."

"I can round up the rest of the group I came back with as soon as you need it, my friend! Surely, if I cross their trails, I might cross what they sighted?" Kutaal offered.

"Maybe. Though if we're going to send any more of us out, I feel like they should be sent to find that canyon town." Sago offered to the others, who looked to him. "Go to Gerran, get him to point you in the right direction, and get to the bottom of that rumor. If it turns out to be a real, then if you proceed, do so with caution."

"It might be better to report back instead of engage." Mushra suggested and Sago nodded, as did Kutaal.

"You could always send a message to Xavier and get him to test around for the glowing encounters." Binka offered.

"Brilliant idea! That shall be my next task on our way home—the kittens are already preparing a feast for tonight." He stated excitedly, his tone and attitude changing on the subject of food.

"We should probably fill in the girls, right?" Binka offered. "I mean, I know they've been sort of out of duty on these things lately, but they should be informed."

The others nodded. "We'll do that now. Besides, Heather's expecting another round of sparring today." Mushra stated with a smile, cracking his knuckles as he set off down the steps with the others following in tow.

The travel back, with their next task being bringing the girls up to speed, was of course spent talking about their current state, well-being, and progress. Binka accounts to having seen them all getting better and better, more like themselves. Heather especially, with Winter right there with her, though Heather seemed to be the driving component to the bettering of them all. She also made the observation that Jaden seemed the most closed off still. Like she didn't know where she fit, who she was, or even what power in her life she held anymore.

"She'll come around. Especially with Heather pushing her." Mushra commented. "If anyone can get through to her, it'd have to be her, if she doesn't get to that point herself or by some other miracle. I just hope this all hasn't turned them completely away from being here… It'd be too…different if they stopped coming around, y'know?"

The others nodded, Sago verbally agreeing. He, too, hoped to see Jaden better, as well as the others. To see just as much fire in her eyes and voice and heart like when she'd stand against or beside them before, not just the fire she seemed so fearful of. She just needed control, and understanding of it. It was so much easier then…

Binka closed the space first, but before she could open the double doors, a few Enterran's came bursting through, running out and blowing out a puff of smoke in the process.

"What the hell?!" he watched the people run, one of them talking about 'her' being a danger, the other talking about needing to get some water or water Enterrans.

They all raced in the gym to find half of it on fire, most of the flames small scale, though some licked up towards the ceiling. They took in the entire situation before leaping into action. Half the Enterrans were either helping or fleeing, and those helping were finding what they could to put out the flames—there were already black singed areas where fire had been put out already. Then there was Winter and Alex heard over the panic of the other members of the gym.

"Jaden, Jaden, it's okay! Sis, it's okay, you're alright, everyone's alright!" Winter was urging her sister to understand, but there was slight panic or worry in her voice as she edged closer to the red haired hybrid, who backed away with each stop they took, mumbling and gripping tight to herself.

Alex was by Winter's side and was even trying to calm her, as well. "Hey, it's alright. Not ones hurt, you're alright. We're right here with you."

"NO! Get back!" Jaden yelled.

Heather, who was just ahead of the other two, stood completely between the two of them and Jaden and started stepping back to get them to back up. "Alright, Jaden, alright, we're backing up." She spoke carefully.

The others came over, Binka and Kutaal helping in putting out fire as Sago and Mushra came to the girls. Jaden would not look up to make sure Heather was telling the truth, she just kept backing up until she bumped the wall.

"Jaden…" Winter began again, but was cut off by Heather when Jaden did look up with a crazed, fearful, and angry look on her face. She seemed…absolutely terrified.

"…Jaden, please, it's okay." Winter tried again, but it did not bring the desired result.

Instead, Jaden spits, "Does this look okay to you?!" waving at the flames, only to cause more across the ground, which just caused her to whimper and slide across the wall, away from them.

Sago, with Mushra, try and step forward, but Heather turns to face them all, the girls included. "This isn't helping, so you two have to stop," she directed to the girls as considerately as she could, before looking to the boys, "and you two don't need to start… It was me that started this; me and her sparring… She was...pushing herself because I urged her to, but some if it just…" she shook her head, and then turned back to her friend.

She was silent and still for a moment, before she took a step towards her friend, her hands up. "Jaden…" she does not speak to sooth, nor to scold—she speaks as normally as she ever would. "He's not here. Trust me. Ryuma's gone, and he not coming back. No one will force you to do anything you don't want to do, like that, again." She began, and Jaden was just looking away, as if acting like no one was there helped. Heather swallowed, her hands lowering a bit. "I'm sorry I pushed you. But you know, I'd never push you beyond what I thought you could do, and could be alright with doing. We can take it slower, alright? And I promise, we'll still get there. Alright?"

Jaden slowly looked to Heather, looking like a wounded animal. So afraid, but so in need of help. For a brief moment, she seems like she heard Heather, and understood, and might could take comfort from her words and calm. But as Heather took another step, panic crossed her face, and Jaden broke into a sudden and brisk run around the lot of them all and straight for the door which she busted through to the outside.

"Jaden!" half of them call for her, but it was Heather and Sago who ran out after her.

Winter, near-gasping in her worry for her sister and the fighting of the sting in her eyes, just stands watching the door. "I should go after her with them…" her voice broke.

"You'll help more here, Winter…" Mushra stated carefully, as he saw from how Jaden had taken her talking to her and how she'd taken Heather, how only the latter had almost gotten through to her. "Don't worry—those two can handle her, I think. Do you mind..?" he asked, also giving her something to do, suggesting she use her power on the greater flames still left that people were having trouble finding something big enough to put them out.

Winter sighed, shutting her eyes as a few tears fell. But she nodded and raised her hands, letting the chill flow to quell the burning flames.

I I I

Run. Run far. Run fast. Run hard.

I have to run.

I could hear them behind me, but I couldn't let them stop me. I'd burned someone already from a burst of emotion; blasted trees apart, carded Parasite even if he deserved it, and nearly burned down the gym. They could be lying…someone was probably burned from that, too.

Gasping, I didn't understand why. I'd run faster and further back on Earth since my change and I never got winded this soon. I realized I was gasping from the battle between myself and my tears. And I kept fighting it. Tears would blur my vision.

This was too much, it was just too much. I'd hurt Heather before, Ryuma made me hurt Heather. And I nearly did it again. I couldn't take this. It's too much. Too much, it's too much.

I was gasping at these thoughts, and found myself almost stumbling forward. I stopped briefly to catch my breath, to get some hold, but I heard them coming, their footsteps and their voices calling. I shook my head as they called for me to wait, and I shot into a run once again.

"Jaden, please, wait!" Sago called behind me.

"Jaden, stop!" Heather called as well.

"Leave me alone!" I nearly screeched as my heart was pounding. Why couldn't they stay away?! I would burn them, I would hurt them! I couldn't be around them, around ANYONE! Why had we even come back!?

"Jaden, this isn't as bad as it seems!" Sago called, sounding closer.

My heart beat faster, and I felt like I could tear out of my skin. I kept nearly stumbling and was finding my control of my body harder with everything around me, everything I was feeling in my body and my heart. Why could nothing work for me!

"JADEN!" Heather yelled then.

"Why can't you leave me ALONE?!" I turned then on my heels, and fire burst forth from me, and burned the ground between the three of us like claw marks. My heart skipped a beat and I swallowed hard, staring at it. That could have hit them…why couldn't they see that..?! Heather took a step forward.

If she wasn't going to realize it, then I'd just have to show her. "Please, just LEAVE ME!" I yelled, and as I expected…or maybe intended, a line a fire shot straight towards them as they advanced on me.

Heather just barely avoided it, so close to being burned, and I was sure the blast would get Sago straight in the stomach. But instead, he leapt over it with a spinning leap, landing on his feet…and racing straight for me.

I back away, unsure of his intentions and in my panic, I threw up by hands. I felt the heat as I blasted flame his way without meaning to—and he countered the blasts, putting out the flames with blasts of water from his palms and suddenly his hands were locked with mine, our hands steaming as his blue eyes stared me down intensely.

I watch him as I gasp, unsure what to do, what he intends to do, and what could happen if I so much as move.

And then he speaks, more intensely than I ever think I've heard him speak to me, his face just as intense if not earnest. "No matter what you fear now, Jaden, believe me; you can beat it."

They were blind. And he clearly didn't understand what I, what we had gone through—thrown into such a wild situation, our lives changed so completely; and so far decently negatively… I shook my head. "No…"

"You can."

"No." I repeat, my voice shaking with fear.

"Don't tell me no. You remember before, we'd spar just the same as you and Heather were." He started, and I looked at him, wondering just where he could possibly go with this. "You were a fighter before, you all were; you still are, and you have more strength to fight now. How you got that strength…. Your change has just caused you to lose trust in yourself."

I shake my head, the tears falling and a few sobs tearing through.

"Jaden, I…I understand." He says then, and I try to get control of the sobs to look at him, but I can't. I feel the steam and sting between our hands as we still held one another's. "I went through something that made me lose faith in myself, too. It was a hard lesson that taught me better, taught me to trust myself…" he speaks, his tone becoming more thoughtful as he does so. I finally gained half control and looked to him with streaming eyes.

"…And maybe what you need is to learn it like I did." He says, and I can't make sense of it, or the change in the look in his eyes. He releases my hands and I start backing away, but I stop due to confusion and curiosity. Even Heather, behind him, seems confused.

And suddenly, with a whip of his hand from his chest and then outward, his razor boomerang materialized…and he launches it straight at me.

 **Mushra: what the heck is he doing?! Jeez, you seem to like physically fighting with him more this time around.  
Me: oh hush, it fits in the story, it has a purpose.  
Mushra: sure, that's the only reason you have it that way.  
Me: *throws a pillow at his face* you and Heather physically fought all the time, shh.  
I hope you enjoyed, review if you like, next chapter coming next~!  
Mushra: Well obviously. **


	6. Ep6-Power and Control

**Mushra: it's shorter than the past two, Jordan.  
Me: Again, readers can take this as a break from the lengthy chapters, which will most likely be coming very soon again, if not very very soon XD  
Mushra: or you're felling behind.  
Me: YOU'RE falling behind.  
Mushra: …?  
Me: ENJOY!  
**

Chapter 6 – Power and Control

Barely dodging the whizzing boomerang whose sound I knew so well, I end up on my rear, staring up at the water Enterran who is now watching me with a strange and foreign determination.

"S-Sago, what…?!" I stammer to ask, still a little out of breath, as he catches the boomerang. And he leaps at me where I sit on the ground. Instinct tells me I should fear the lunge, and feeling that fear, I roll out of the way onto my hands and knees. "What are you doing?! Are you TRYING to make me burn you?!"

He said nothing in response to that. He throws the whizzing blade again, and it a grazes right past my face as I had stood—slicing some stray hair. I look back at him like he's gone crazier than me, and I see him raising his forearm.

"Aqua dragon!"

I watched in awe and disbelief as he summoned his Aqua Dragon at me. It came into life, water seeming to be pulled from the air itself to form a long slender dragon, thicker than Sago, and far taller in its length as it swirled upward, around him, and then after me.

"Sago, stop!" Heather yells as I stumbled backwards, panicking and throwing up my hands—spurts of flame shot and blast through the edges of the dragon, but it was still on its path to take me down.

With a scream, I felt it ram me, painfully and chillingly, with slicing teeth trying to grab me, but I rolled away from its watery mouth, and threw my hand up, sending a blast that wasn't nearly what I wanted it to be, but it still blast half the dragons face.

"Sago, what the heck is wrong with you?!" I hear Heather yell at Sago again, but he doesn't respond. I barely dare to look at her and take my focus off him, but I just happen to see him blast her back before turning back on me.

He leapt at me, bringing down his blades with spinning force, and I knew the attack even before he called out, "Aqua Tornado!"

I threw my arms up to protect my head and neck, and found myself blast onto my upper back and sent rolling, wincing and groaning in pain as I lay on the ground for a moment. I gasped at the pain shooting down my back from my shoulder blades and fought the sting in my eyes as I looked up at him, advancing on me again. Why was he doing this…!? He was my friend, what the hell was going on?! I could hear Ryuma laughing in the back of my mind and shivered and whimpered.

He raised up his hands, putting his palms together. He stared me down, standing in aim as he called out his next attack.

"Aqua Vortex!"

"NO!" I screamed, throwing up my hands to counter-attack his blast of water, and found that I did, with an equal vortex against his water, steam left in the wake of our attacks.

I hurried onto my hands and knees. He still advanced. He wasn't stopping, whatever this was, I could see it in his eyes; he wasn't stopping. So what choices did I have?

I could run, run like I had been, run from every threat around me.

Or I could fight.

I was gasping as he stopped and stared me down, halting attack for now and I could see Heather watching out of the peripheral of my vision, perhaps because he'd stopped. But no…his eyes, he wasn't stopping.

As I stood, closing my gasping mouth, and began breathing greatly through my nose, I realized I was making my choice. Standing almost straight, leaned forward a bit and extending my claws, I realized I'd decided. I would fight.

Heather didn't move, but I cared for nothing but Sago who began pacing me and so I paced him, curling my fists. He narrowed his eyes, and that's when I launched. With what could almost be taken as I growl of some sort from me, I slashed out at him, catching his shoulder which caused his cape to fall to the ground. I didn't wait for his attack, I knew I couldn't let him attack again if I could help it. I swung a kick for his stomach, which he caught and twisted me until I landed flat on my face on the ground. I kicked at him with the other leg, though, and he stumbled back.

I move into a crouch, watching him, glaring him down. He spins his razorang and I watch it as if daring him to throw it again. Only for me to launch, and willing that flame into my forearm as I had in training with Heather, I hit him in the center of his chest and blast him back into the wall of a store front. I took that chance, noticing the impact caused him to drop his weapon, and I ran for him, throwing a hit for his gut which he blocked, but he wasn't fast enough to stop the hit to the jaw that rocked his head to the side.

He suddenly crossed his arms, like an X, between us, only to shove his palms into my chest with an added blast of water. I rolled this time, though, instead of landing completely on my back, and I popped back to my feet in no time.

"Aqua Tordano!"

This I could dodge, unlike his dragon. I crouched and hoped like hell that my legs would have the strength for this; just as it was nearing me, I shoved off from the ground, and with a spin sideways, I'd jumped and spun over the attack. Landing with a gasp of surprise and rush of more adrenaline, I turn on Sago and started clawing at him, but the claws are sending out flaming claw strikes of fire, most of which he dodged and I was partly thankful for but mostly pissed at right now. One caught his arm, though, the same one I'd burned before, and he dodged the next, sending my fist and attack blasting into the side of a building.

My hand was caught in whatever was beyond the bricks, and I struggled, looking back at Sago. He was winding up an attack, I could see from how he raised his arm. Panicking, I struggled, growling in annoyance, trying to work my hand around or out of this thing and it wasn't working!

"Sago!" Heather called again, but she still hadn't stopped him, and I had to wonder why.

"Aqua dragon!"

That dragon was coming, it was curling around Sago by now, I knew without looking as I felt the steel of whatever the HELL I was caught in. I felt it and grasped, thinking maybe I could crush it. I shot a look back to Sago to see the dragon catching sight of me. I began yanking mercilessly now, gripping the steel until suddenly whatever I was caught it was yanked out through the wall…by me.

It was broken steel, jagged, and torn almost triangular to a point at the end. I heard the dragon roar, and I looked to it just in time. In the suddenness of it, I raised the steel and brought it down at the dragon.

I sliced straight through. I could only appreciate the shock of it, and the shock on Sago's face that seemed to dismiss that dark determination for a moment, before it returned. And I was racing for him now, wielding a make-shift blade made from the broken piece of steel.

He raised up his razorang as I brought my blade at him, and he countered most my hits, catching my arms with the other flip side of his blades. That is, until I gave a risky shove into him while he wielded his weapon, and I slashed, catching the lower side of his stomach. He winced and backed away. And then suddenly he threw his hands at me and blasted me back with another call of Aqua Tornado. It sent me flying to make impact with the second level of a building. I heard people yelp inside and was briefly and barely reminded of the fact that were other people around.

As I landed with a sharp shooting pain into my legs, my back pounding, I watching him preparing another attack and I growled, knowing the pain and risk of injury that was coming. I felt my heart pound as my chest rose and fell faster, and the blood pumping through my veins and pounding in my arms seemed to be on fire.

I raised up my hand, and as I heard him call Aqua Dragon again, I heard myself say (more than I actually intentionally said), "Fire Ball!"

The dragon roared at me and my attack with its mouth wide, and the growing fire ball (that started the size of my palm and kept growing) was swallowed by the dragon….and blasted it into steam and rain. I stared at what I'd done, perhaps foolishly with the fact that my friend was trying to kill me, but he seemed just as surprised…and I...saw a smile. Confused and annoyed by it, I went back on the defense and prepared myself, really realizing as I thought of my next attack… I'd just officially given a Hyper Enterran attack.

I…I gave one of my attacks a name! I think I'd done that fire ball before, but it hadn't grown like that, it wasn't nearly as powerful! Did giving it a name give it more strength? Or did it give me more control in using it? Control in using… That attack had worked so perfectly…

I heard the yell before I realized I'd gotten lost in my might and was almost late to blocking Sago's down swipe of his razarang, which I knocked his weapon downward with my steel blade and swiped at him, and as he spun, I lunged at him, only to roll in-air and kick instead of ram.

I knocked him down and back, landing on my hands and knees, half on my side. I'd dropped my blade a distance away, damn, but I still had my attacks…maybe I could figure out more of them. Taking a breath, I imagined one I'd done, one I'd felt—the only one that seemed to come was the—

"Flaming Claw!"

The swipe of my claws sent not three, as they'd been thus far, but FIVE streaks of swirling flame straight for the water Enterran, and he narrowly avoided the full brunt of them, just catching one in the side and he cried out. The cry turned my stomach and I hesitated, gasping from the rush of it all.

He looked to me again, though. He was STILL going… I took my stance, growling…and I noticed him pass my blade. And I charge him. He tossed his razorang, which I dodge, and as he blasted a vortex of water at me, I blast fire balls at the vortex, blasting it into nothing but steam. The steam left between us, I leapt over him to his surprise with the fogged vision—even flipped, catching his shoulder with my arm to help push me further away which almost knocked him forward. He caught his razorang just as I rolled and took up my steel make-shift blade. He charges me again and I do the same, but neither of us call attacks this time.

Considering he was going for briefly weapon battle, I had other plans already. Just as I neared him, I dropped and did a slide that would have won me home base in baseball, and moved to my hands and knees just in time to spin and sweep my leg to trip one of his—and he fell forward.

As he did, I pounced like a predator, blade in hand as I tackled him onto his back on the ground, razorang sliding away, and I put my blade to his throat.

"Jaden!"

Heather called my name this time, and that was the second thing to stall me; the first being the realization of reality through the rush of it all. I had a dangerous weapon to Sago's throat, and if I wasn't careful…

Gasping, I just stared him down and began trying to find words.

And through his own gasping, he began stuttering out words before me. "Jaden, I'm sorry! I'm very sorry!" he begins, gasping a bit more. He doesn't put his hands up for mercy or in defeat, but that determination was now completely dissipated from his eyes. "I-I needed to…to put you into that same situation that was hindering you. But with more control, I thought this could do that!" he was…explaining himself. The bitter side to me that wanted to whoop his tail more for what he'd just put me through was very much considering if he was bringing up false explanation to literally save his neck, but my heart believed the intensity of his eyes. He looked sure as he went on. "You need to be forced to use every height of your power, and to also be in a situation where you…were facing a friend, but with no one ordering for their death, or yours…"

I swallowed, finding my mouth was very dry. I briefly glanced to Heather, who was still only standing and watching, before I looked back down to him.

"This…is what you needed, Jaden…to feel your strength, and to find your control…"

I watched him in silence for a time, before I removed to blade and dropped it away from the both of us. I climbed off of him, just barely catching his razorang vanishing. He did this to help. I took a breath that turned into a sudden and intense gasp. And then I turned and broke into a run, a strange burst of…something inside me pushing me to do so. I ran, and I ran, hearing them briefly call for me, but I'd return to them soon enough. I need this. I had…I had just been freed, and I needed to run with it.

I race faster than ever, through the city, past the civilians, and then beyond the buildings to the brief open land before reaching the grassy hill that lead to a forest and to the gift of a portal that had brought us to this world. I ran, almost leapt, up the hill until I reached the top. I looked over it, the scars of kidnappings' past still there, and my heart pumping, I raised my hands and I felt power, I felt powerful!

Raising my forearm, I called out a Fire Ball attack, small scale, and blasted away the scales left over from those disgusting centipedes. Then I looked the wounded and dying trees that were barely hanging on. They had no hope of returning to their former life, and I launched at them with kicks and punches, separated them from their prolonged end and giving them their proper fall and grave lying upon the ground.

Then I returned to the patch of grass that lead down the hill, and reached to both the trees and the bushes that lay at the foot of the portal, the wounds in those patches of green.

Those needed to be gone.

"Flaming Claw!" I scorched marks upon the scratches on the ground, turning to others and calling out, "Fire Ball, Rain of  
Fire!" a few flaming balls blasts the ground, followed by streaks falling in a swirl from above to burn the ground like drips of liquid flame. "Flame Frenzy!" I called as I envisioned great flames with a slam of my forearms and fists upon the rest of the bug-brought wounds on the ground. Flame burst from my fore arms, in swirls, with lava like swirls following and cracking across the ground, bringing small but intricate swirls and cracks of volcanic rock upon the ground.

Gasping, I moved back and overlooked my work, assuring there were no stray flames that would cause unneeded damage, and there were none. And I looked at the area, now reborn. It looked different, darker, but due to it being by my hand, I felt comforted by the look of it, especially the cracks of volcanic rock (still cooling but almost completely cooled) carving through the earth and almost…decorating the ground. Black, surrounded by green, with intricate gray/black, shimmering rock that still held reddish orange glow at the moment. To me, it….looked beautiful.

Suddenly, with a deep breath and a sigh, it was as if some intense blast of relief and joy that brought me to my knees, something I could only describe as euphoric or lethargic or both burst into my chest, choking up my throat and I laughed before the laugh turned into sobs.

I sat there, sobbing and savoring this feeling. This bursting in my chest, and the fire in my veins, and the pulse of strength in my very muscles and bones. I could feel it, in all of me, every inch, every emotion, every sense.

Smiling with eyes shut, I found myself speaking aloud.

"I have the power…I have the control…I can change it. I can make…my place here…" I open my eyes, and looked towards the city, remembering all that I'd experienced there thus far, and I smiled wider as I held myself tight. Shutting my eyes again, the old fantasies begin to flood back to me.

Being here, bring brought here with my sister and best friend, to live as Enterran's, or even to find we'd been born Enterran's and taken back in time. But we'd always been meant for Enterra, to find friends in the boys and maybe more, the latter perhaps girlishly foolish. But it had been beautiful, all of it, the possibility of being something greater, in a greater place. And here I was, in something greater, and I WAS something greater, even if it didn't live up to the same ideas I'd had in imagining it.

That sick voice of the serpent Lord tried to speak once more, joined by the laughter of Dr. Parasite, but I shook my head to deny them. I had the power to make this world a nightmare or a dream come true.

And I was now determined to make it the latter.

 **Mushra: well that was crazy.  
Me: but needed. Like I said, it had a purpose.  
Mushra: Suuuuure it did.  
Me: you just read that it pushed Jaden to where she needed to be!  
Mushra: did I? did I, Jordan.  
Me: *rolls eyes* PLEASE, if you liked, review~ and look for the next chapter coming~! **


	7. Ep7-Control of Power

**Me: There, longer, you happy?!  
Mushra: Eh.  
Me: you can never be satisfied…  
Mushra: nah, I just like bugging you.  
Me: oh no, really?  
Mush-  
Me: NOT, take that! Enjoy, readers! ^^  
**

Chapter 7 – Control of Power

"Alright, I think we've got everything cleaned up!" Mushra announced as things knocked over in the panic had been replaced to their proper position and the burns had been put out and cleaned or covered as well as they could be. He looked it over one last time, nodding to himself as others were dispersing to either speak to one another or leave. Those who left seemed to be speaking ill of the experience, while those who stayed completely moved past it and disregarded it as another intense training session that tends to happen at the gym now and again. Especially on the upper levels that are set up for hyper battling, though aren't always used.

"Oh, should I head home to finish off the meal with the kittens, or shall we stay until our little fire friend returns?" Kutaal asked his friends and both Binka and Mushra shrugged.

"I don't think she'd really want an audience waiting around for her after that." Binka put her two cents in, looking to the other two. "Besides, I'm getting hungry!"

"Then I shall set off to remedy that! I assure you, a feast shall be waiting for you all upon your return, haha!" he announced proudly, as he only needed one voice of support apparently to decide. He charged off and out the door with that, Mushra shaking his head.

Alex was talking with some of the other gym members, about some of the previous mishaps, telling stories of some of the more hilarious situations which Alex was enjoying. Though, Winter not as much, so she gravitated toward the bench where she sat and pondered if she should have went after his sister, if she should have done something, if the other two had even tried seeing as how they hadn't come back with Jaden and they seemed a little worried in their return, and Sago a bit marked up.

But not blaming them, she focused blame on herself and considered if Jaden needed space or not, just barely catching the conversation of Heather and Sago who were sitting at the other end of the bench.

"…Was I wrong for what I did…?" Sago asked, wounded arms crossed as he considered this. He winced now and again and had to relax his arms, leaving him seeming very fidgety. He looked to Heather, though, trusting her judgment purely for who she is, personally and as the greatest friend to the woman he'd been attacking out there. "Did I go too far?"

Heather looked to him, considering him and his question for a moment. She bounced around where she sat and shrugged, before sitting still and really thinking it through before she replied. "…Originally? I thought you were, yeah. In the moment, I was ready to kick your butt all over New Yora. I didn't get your purpose right off the bat, and we're…we're all in this fragile, really honestly post traumatic state, and my initial reaction was that being way out of line."

Sago took a breath and sighed, taking that as confirmation for his fears.

So Heather faced him, sitting with her legs hanging on either side of the backless bench, hands planted on it as she leaned forward. "But as I realized what you were doing? And especially when I saw that it was _working_ , I knew it was needed. We've been going for weeks, Sago. Yeah, everyone needs time, but you also need to test and push in that time to see…where you're at in recovery, and she just hasn't had enough of those proper pushes. And I know her. She wants to be past this, so bad, she was just trapped. And I think what you did freed her. I honestly do." She added the last sentence, with conviction, in hopes that he could see that he'd done the right thing.

He glanced to her, and she kept his gaze as he took in all she'd meant, in his silence. He shook his head. "Maybe you're right, but I can't believe that until she returns and confirms it. If she does."

"She will."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know her." Heather spoke confidently.

Sago knew that to be true, he'd seen it, they worked so well together, and he'd rarely ever seen them disagree or argue in a way beyond their silly habits and teasing. "If you know her so well, tell me this… Am I due an ass-kicking after initiating that little battle out there?" he asked with a small smile, and Heather couldn't help but smile and nod as if to say, 'well, possibly'.

"…You initiated what..?"

Sago turned, Heather leaning to look past him, to Winter who had caught on to their conversation, especially the last bit. She looked confused but edging on furious. Sago was silent for a moment, and Heather moved to stand, as if she was going to explain for him, but he took it on himself before she could.

"…We chased down Jaden, confronted her, and tried to speak with her… I realized that words weren't going to get through to her, as I…empathized to a degree from personal experience and that experience led me to believe she needed to be pushed like I was." He told her.

She raised her brows, and the anger was becoming more present than the confusion. "…Push her how, Sago?"

"I started a fight with her. A real fight, with Hyper attacks and all." He admitted, not bothering to explain why he had because he could see there was no point.

"You attacked my sister?!" Winter suddenly shot up to standing, most the people in the gym looking toward them now.

"Winter, it's not how you think." Heather tried to defend. "Water boy had the best intentions, if you just—"

"Best intentions, he attacked her! He just said it was a real fight! With your fucking Aqua attacks?!" she demanded to know, not usually one to so angrily curse, and Sago nodded, almost shrinking back but still keeping her gaze.

"Look, Winter, I was trying to help her." He stood, trying to explain himself then, in that in between where he both felt unsure and yet defensive about what he'd done. "She needed the push."

"Who are you to decide anything about what she needs?!" Winter demanded, giving him an ironic push.

His jaw tightened. "…Her friend."

Winter stared him down, but not for much longer as the doors opened wide then. And from the surprised look on her face, the other two decided to see who had entered. And they were just as surprised. It was Jaden.

I I I

As I'd expected, everyone was waiting for me once I returned to the gym. My friends waiting, I could handle without complaint and was hoping for—the extra Enterran's, however, I could have done without. But no matter.

I looked over each face; the other members taking brief notice of me, Binka and Mushra who seemed surprised but relieved and happily so, Alex as well. Then there was Heather, Sago, and Winter who were around the line of benches closest to the door and all three of them looked on edge and a little miffed the moment I walked it. But they seemed to calm, or at least Heather did, the longer I stood there.

And I stopped standing there in the doorway, fully entering to come stand where everyone in the gym would be able to see and hear me, despite the uncomfortable stage-fright-y feeling it gave me as well as guilt to do so. I saw that the damage was mostly taken care of. I really didn't want to waste time, as I had plans that I wished to get to and soon, but it was only courteous to give some sort of apology.

"I realize half the audience to my almost literal melt-down is gone, so hopefully the rest of you can pass on the message?" I began with a nervous air. "Sorry for the disruption of training—I promise, my next outburst will be a little more entertaining and not as dramatic, k?"

Some of the other gym members laughed and nodded, which eased my nerves a bit as I looked to everyone. My friends seemed confused, some of them worried. My stomach flipped, I hated being a reason for any of those looks, but I wasn't going to dwell on that.

Walking to join the boys and the girls, I went straight to my point. "I think Heather, Winter, Alex, and I need a change. Clothes wise."

That just confused them more, but again, I wasn't going to dwell. I looked to Sago and walked up to him, noticing how he looked like a regretful culprit ready for punishment for what was done wrong. But instead, I just stopped in front of him and put my hands on my hips. "Would you mind terribly to lend me some money?"

He raised a brow, seeming as if that took him off guard.

"We might be staying here for a while as we keep trying to figure things out, so we might as well suit up in proper attire for staying here on Enterra." I explained with a shrug, and I just saw the confusion and underlying worry in his eyes as I didn't seem to be angry at all.

"Y-yeah, of course. I'll go get some from the apartment." He nodded and went out somewhat quickly. I felt bad. I know he was confused and worried as to how I felt because of what he did. And I would take the time to explain to him, but not just yet.

It didn't take long for him to get the money and come back. I'd just been reassuring Winter that I was perfectly fine, despite the look of my clothes and the wounds that were healing up. Though thanks to her, I realized I looked like a complete wreck. Scratches on my arm, a bit of blood here and there smudging my skin, and bruises as well. Winter was just edging on a promise of a lecture she'd give to Sago, and I tried to assure her it wasn't need, once Sago returned. I didn't even hear him enter, but he'd apparently stopped behind me.

"Here you are…this should be enough, I think." He'd said, and I turned in surprise but took it thankfully, observing it—it did seem like enough, a bag full of coins that were Enterra's currency in most places, and the bag was just barely wider than my open palm.

I gave him a smile. "Thanks. Yeah, this should be enough. Whatever's left over I'll be sure to return." I assured him.

He shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

I almost considered saving this shopping trip for later… Just the look of him, even if he was trying to hide it, he looked so…sorry, and worried, and guilty under the surface. But no, we need this and now.

I walked to Heather with Winter come up behind me, and I waved Alex over who joined us in no time. They followed my lead, making our leave, though I turned with a brief walk backwards. "We'll see you guys later! At the apartment! Be back!"

Once out, I picked up my pace with a bit of excitement. For what, I wasn't sure. I mean, I guess the prospect of going to shop for attire was a bit exciting, but…I still had the rush in my chest going through my veins, and it wasn't going away.

"Jaden." Winter spoke up then, and I looked to my sister. She still looked worried and I wondered how much Sago and Heather had told her about what happened—I mean, obviously she knew the gist of it, or she wouldn't have been so pissed. "What the hell happened? You act like it was nothing, but Sago said he attacked you, why would he even—"

"Winter.." Heather began as if she was going to explain. I knew she'd caught on, that's why she didn't intervene during the fight. But I took the responsibility of explaining from her—beside, Winter was asking me and wouldn't except the truth unless it was from me.

"Look, here it is; Sago and Heather were trying to calm me down, to reassure me. Sago realized it wasn't going to work, but we all know I needed to get past that fear and worry holding me back. So he came up with a way to push me. Which was to put me into the situation I feared with different circumstances and in the process, he…he pushed my power, Winter. I gave my Hyper attacks names!" I gushed, still so pumped about that.

"You whaa?" Alex asked in confusion.

"H-hyper attacks." Winter started to explain. "It's just the attacks, the defined attacks Hyper Enterran's can do. For example, Mushra's Hyper Flame, or Sago's Aqua Dragon. There's times they can use their power in spurts, and us as well of course because of…the experiments, but some attacks are very specific in nature and greater in power, and usually have a name to them." She looked to me then, though. "So…so what, you were able to attack? You've been doing that, we all have."

"Yeah, but not perfectly. I know half the attacks I've done, I had no control over other than sometimes initiating it. It was never to the level I intended, whether it be too weak or too powerful, and it was just…not working. I didn't have control, I didn't know or understand the power perfectly. But what Sago did pushed it, and I was able to really…feel it, and get closer to understanding it. I named at least three—no, four attacks. It was awesome!"

Winter seemed like she was ready to say something more, but my sudden almost nerd-like enthusiasm seemed to deter her. She even laughed. Shaking her head she sighed. "Well, as long as he doesn't…do that without warning again. Or without you agreeing…"

"It's all good, frosty, I can handle myself." I rubbed my sisters shoulders a bit and she nudged me for the nickname, but leaned into me for the moment as we walked. "Let's just…leave it at the fact that, I was having a panic attack and…after what Sago did, how he pushed me, I was able to realize what I needed to do, or just what I was able to do, and to not be so scared of every little thing anymore." I took a breath and glanced to the other two. "I feel like…I want to stay in this world, and face its hard ships, because I don't want to leave behind the wonders here. I will face whatever hardships I have to." The others nodded, Alex a little unsure, but she seemed to at least nod in understanding of where I was.

"So…what are we doing again?" Alex asked then and I looked to her.

"Well, if we're going to stay here, we're going to be dressed and armored up properly to fit Enterra; you don't see anyone else in jeans or shorts and T-shirts, do you?" I raised a brow and Winter laughed, Alex shrugging to agree I had a good point.

"Besides; I always wanted an Enterran uniform."

We walk with renewed energy to the same adjoining clothing and armor shop we went to before when we gave Alex the tour. As soon as we arrived, we rushed back to our designated colors we'd been adoring before; Winter and Alex amongst the blues and greens and blue greens, and me and heather around the reds and oranges.

Firstly, I focused on the basic needs of clothing—top, pants, shoes, and undergarments. Their undergarments were basic, more securing for breasted people in the upper area, and regardless of gender the underwear seemed like longer boy-shorts. Which I was perfectly fine with and just snagged a pair.

There were so many sorts of tops though. Softer fabrics, thicker, vests, jackets, cloaks—no, shirts is what I needed. Going through the reds and comparing sleeve to non-sleeve and midriff to none-midriff, I had finally found the right one. It was something akin to an Asian tunic, though not completely. It could undo at the bottom a bit and at the top, but could also be tightened to close if I chose. In the front the length seemed as if it'd come to my hip, but as it went around the side and down the back (on either side), it would reach down to just around the back of my knee. It was sleeveless, with curved, orange designs around the right shoulder. Very appealing for me. Next was pants just some basic black ones, tight enough to avoid being caught on anything, but loose enough that it wasn't some leather or skinny jeans situation of I-won't-be-able-to-function.

In my process of looking for shoes, though, I caught sight of this weird but cool cloak number. It was longer in the back than it was in the front but the waist and down of the cloak was cut in three pieces around so they opened in three, leather, thick strips but also came together. Then upward, as it was only half a cloak it only covered the left side, and the left and only sleeve more covered the arm than wrapped around it. It had three laces of thick string that started in the back of the cloak; on at the top went over the shoulder and around the neck and latched into a hole at the front, then another string that went just over the breast, and then one that went over the hip. It was a deep maroon color and I was in love. Of course, I didn't know if it'd fit, but I would at least try it.

Slinging it over my forearm with the top and pants, I set back to looking for boots. And was sidetracked again when I spotted a pair of gloves. Red, with black lining on both end, and a red-orange stone on the back of the palm. I would have just given them an approving but-not-now look, until I considered that…well, IF I got the cloak, I'd be sort of bare on the other arm… So what the hell. I grabbed them up, cause I at least had to buy the pair even if I wasn't going to use both.

Finally I found shoes. They were pretty cool, too, and gave a little extra black to the attire so the gloves didn't stand out. Around the food, it was just a simple red, but it got darker as it went up the boot until it sort of faded into black, it was very interesting and cool. So I got'em.

And off to change I went. Their changing rooms felt a little more secure than those of home, though it still provided the upon top sides, you know, for friendly neighbor conversation. I put my uniform to the side, and began removing the rest which was so messy, I couldn't believe I was still wearing it. I slipped on the black pants, and they fit pretty well. Next was the tunic; I undid the latches at the top and around the bottom so it would go on smooth, and once it was on, I did up the latches at the top and left the bottom. It fit well, and I looked at myself in the mirror briefly, just looking at the pants and top together and it looked great.

Then it was the boots. I was one to enjoy the freedom of my feet at times, but I think I could handle the boots. Slipping them on, they seemed to fit well enough that I could move around in them without problem, and I was able to tuck the bottom end of the pants into them and still fit comfortably. I did a bit of movement to test, and it felt fine. It covered enough, but also have me movement. The top breathed enough but didn't feel as fragile as one of mine from Earth.

Then, I looked upon the cloak and had only a split moment of hesitation before I grabbed it up possibly too excitedly. I slipped it on the left side of my body, and started latching from the waist first, as maybe that'd be better. Then over my chest, and then around my neck. I moved around in it first, and it felt fine. The tunic had a short collar that prevented the string from rubbing my skin directly. It hung a bit, but not problematically, and it was tight enough to keep the cloak securely on without confining me too much either. Then I snatched on the right clove, and looked myself over with an excited smile.

And I just stood there.

I was…a completely different person. The only thing remotely obviously as an indication of me was my hair style, how it was cut, and my eyes in their deep greenness. But so much red, clothing that seemed so unnatural yet natural at the same time. My hair its red shade, my face…I couldn't even describe how my face seemed to have changed. Did I look older? Not exactly…or maybe…at least older in that aspect of not being as innocent and carefree, perhaps. And looking at how different I was, I stood there and let myself accept the fact that I was completely different. The greatest indicating being that implanted stone still in my shoulder. I sighed and reached a hand to run over it. It was still sensitive, but not as much. I wonder if that was due to time since it was implanted, or my clawing it and it healing over, or both. Either way, it's become even more a part of me. And in that moment, I accepted it.

I was Jaden…Hybrid, half Enterran and half human.

Taking a breath, I snatched up my stuff and exited the changing room, not really sure how the purchases different when it came to clothing. I went to find someone to speak with and found the front that was practically similar to how the cashiers seemed on Earth, the register was just different. But there was a single person waiting, who gave me a smile as I approached.

"I see you've made some stylish choices! Are you ready to purchase?" he asked.

I smiled back. "Yeah, I just—do you know me?" I asked apprehensively, hoping he knew OF me.

"Hmm…I think I might… Friends of the three Warriors of Enterra, am I right?" he asked. "You girls were such an anomaly…and I heard you'd been through a change recently? Oh, my apologize, I sound like a gossip!"

I shook my head and laughed. "Eh, its fine. Yeah, we have. Um, well, as I'm sure you can understand, I really don't know how purchases clothes goes, here. Do I need to bring the clothes back to you to…assess the price?"

He shook his head. "No, no. We keep decent stock of our items for these situations because people tend to come here for uniforms such as you, though not always. I have had a few come in that had just come out of a fight, their clothes ruined, and they needed new clothing as their own were ruined! When not being worn, we can usually either pull up the price of the item, or we assess the weight of the item, that usually defines the price. Luckily, I know most every price here, if not every price! Worry not about that."

I sighed. "Oh good, thanks… I like how these feel on me, I wasn't really up for changing again." I laughed, as did he. "Oh, um, I have three others, you may see them in here. I'll be back up here with them once we're ready, alright?"

He nodded. "I shall be here." He joked and I smiled, nodding and going off to find the others.

I searched through the clothing aisles and shelves and such first, not noticing any of them, before I went for the changing rooms. "Guys? Anyone of the hybrid nature in any of these?" I asked.

"Alex is." Alex said from the changing room on the end and I moved to wait outside it.

"Already find something appealing?"

"I think so, hopefully. I'd love one of your opinions, of course, I'm not used to this worlds clothing."

"My opinion is at the ready." I assured her.

In little more time, I heard the door click and she exited adorned in blue, black, and grey, with a dash of brown. She had a top underneath a sort of hoodie number, the top being black, and the hoody a navy like blue. Then she had a grey and black skirt, the top had a sort of belt bit that was grey, the rest black. Then boots that were mostly brown, though the top was a grey. She had short, fingerless gloves, black and…a brown satchel hung over her shoulder.

"Well, I think your outfit is both cool, and efficient in being an outfit that you can move around in." I began with. "And the bag, is smart, just surprised you'd want one." Moreover, surprised and curious as to why she feels she might need one.

"Well, you never know." She shrugged, but she seemed pleased with her clothing. She, too, wore something sleeveless, her stone fully exposed.

"Good point. Well, after the other two are done, we'll go pay, we don't have to change back. Help me find the others?" I asked, and she nodded happily. I didn't waste time looking through the clothes again, and instead wandered over towards the armor and other assorted things.

As we searched, Alex just caught Winter entering one of the changing rooms and we went to wait, especially once I heard a familiar voice in one of the other changing rooms muttering something like, "Wait until hot head see's this."

After some time, and some complaints from Heather's end to herself, questioning how something worked and how in the world she was supposed to get it on and off whatever it was, she was the first to exit even so.

And I realized why she'd muttered about Mushra seeing her. I had to chuckle, and admire her. Because her uniform was very akin to our favorite little hot head, but of course with her own still to it. A little more red to her armor than orange. But her under suit was black, the legs of it going down to her boots, the sleeves going to about her elbows. The armor protected her shoulders and chest, and as she turned in it I saw it was all connect around her body, the armor at her hips connecting in the back to the rest of the armor. And as she moved, I notice that at some joints of it, it moved. And though she seemed to be having trouble with the chest of it and figuring out how to get her stone out in the open, saying that it'd look awesome because the armor could set right along with it, she'd tested it. I'd help her later.

She had another bit of armor for one elbow, and then orange forearm gloves, and orange boots. Wearing all the orange and read seemed to bring out the reddish nature to her brown eyes that had been there before, but seemed more obvious now.

I could only smirk, and once she caught my face, she smiled very cocky-like, and posed.

"I look awesome, don't I~?"

"As ever, of course." I laughed.

"Just wait until Mush' sees, and he will weep when he knows, I rock it better." She stated, flexing proudly and happily, obviously as pleased with her uniform as I am with mine.

Shaking my head, I heard another door unlock, and out came Winter. And unsurprisingly, her clothing reflected her; bright blues, with grace and beauty in its style.

She wore a sleeveless top that had a tunic like upper part to it, where it latched in the front and had a short collar, but I wasn't sure it had the same length as mine. Around the collar and over the shoulders and chest, there were light, ice blue, cracking designs over the top, which was a strange mix of the same ice blue and a perhaps a light grey. There were sparkles of something around the design, which gave it a frosty look. She had two bits of shoulder armor, blue and grey, the right one half covering her flake-like implant, and another, more like a band around her upper arm of the same color. Then there was a corset of the same color, with a blue and barely blueish green half long skit that went around her right side. She had grey pants, and deep grey/blue boots.

I shook my head. "You look great, sis; like you'd made it yourself." I informed her, and she smiled at that, seeming very pleased.

"Really?! Oh, I love it! And you guys look amazing!" she gushed, looking over each of us, leaving us all to take a moment to appreciating our individual style and just the fact that we were all secret realizing this was a step further.

With that step, we went and made our purchases excitedly, and I was glad to find that only over a little than a half of the money was spent on all our clothing together. We thanked the employee and went on our way and each one of seemed to have a little more power to our step.

On our way back to the apartment now, Heather stopped us nearly there when she spotted a dumpster. Clutching and showing us her old closed balled up in her grasp, she started heading for it. We slowly followed her example, and one by one, we relinquished our former attire. It felt like a small way of letting go of just another part of our old selves.

We didn't dwell though, and we doubled back, returning in no time.

Though, with the apartment just in sight, I remember something…

"Guys, I'll be right back, okay? Just go ahead in or wait here, I won't be long!" I told them, heading off towards the gym and beyond it, ignoring their questioned. With a quick and determined run, I wasn't wrong; I was quick. I arrived to the area me and Sago had fought. It wasn't long before I saw it—his cloak. I hurried to it and picked it up, checking over it, worried I'd sliced the fabric or the belt collar of it in the find. To my relief, it looked like it'd just unhooked, and with it in hand, I hurried back, meeting the others just outside.

To answer their questioning looks, I held up the cloak and they just shrugged, other than Heather. Winter entered first, hesitantly and then quicker as we all filed in after her.

We come in to see the guys and Binka in discussion at the table, Binka up and teetering toward the door and the boys sitting cross legged, Kutaal and the others sounding like they were in the kitchen.

Of course, once we were all in, they slowly looked to us. Binka first, who I noticed just started grinning ear to ear and I couldn't help but wonder what brought the smile to her face. And then the boys, who were just in awe; I also wondered about that, wondering just what sort of awe that was, but it was humorous nonetheless.

We all spread out, and even posed a bit to show off.

"What do you guys think?" Winter asked excitedly. "Really brings out the Enterran's in us now, huh?"

"Heck yeah it does, haha!" Binka all-but cheered, coming over and checking out the armor on Winter and Heather. "You girls look great! And about time you started doing as the rom…what were they again?"

"Do as the Rome do, that sounds about right." Alex joked under her breath, but Winter give Binka the correct statement.

"Right right! Oh wow, you guys look awesome!" she continued gushing in such approval.

"Ay! Hot head!" Heather called Mushra out then, walking his way and he snapped out of it, standing.

"What, shorty?" he asked, crossing his arms.

She stood toe to toe, even if not nose to nose, with him, and then suddenly started flexing and posing, "I wear it better, twerp!"

He gave a 'wait, what?' look, before he suddenly started posing and flexing as well as his way of saying 'oh please'. I shook my head at the two of them.

I pull my eyes away from them to look on Sago's awe again, and he was making his way to me instead. There was still that awe, but there was more underneath still, of course. Even if he was still currently hiding it.

I handed over his money bag then. "So? Worth giving up some of your stash for, you think?" I asked as he eventually took it.

He narrowed his gaze, and then shrugged, smirking. "Eh…I guess. Enterra does look good on you."

For a fleeting moment, the smirk and that comment seemed to put a flutter to my perception of him. Savoring that for a moment, as it hadn't made an appearance in some weeks now, I still quelled it. Smiling downward, I looked back to him. "Thanks."

He tied the bag to his hip with a nod.

Looking to the others, Binka still admiring the others and the two dorks still showing off in their own way of having fun, I decided now was a good time. I edged toward the door, and nodded for it as I asked him, "Can I...talk with you?"

He barely hesitated before nodding and we exited together. He looked to me and I kept walking, further out away from the apartment, before I finally said or did anything. First off of course, I handing him his cloak.

"It's not ruined, I think I just unclipped it. Sorry about that." I laughed as he took it.

He shook his head, taking it appreciatively enough and latching it back around his shoulders, before he looked to me. "…You're apologizing."

I took a breath and sighed, keeping walking as we talked. "Look, Sago… I know what happened back there, and how it felt for me at first. But…just don't feel bad or sorry about that. I know you have reason, but you really don't."

"Meaning?" he barely laughed.

"Look, I admit, you caught me off guard; there really was no helping it, with what you were doing, and me having what…I think might have been a panic attack, it couldn't be helped. And even though you were a bit relentless," he nodded at that and I continued quickly, "It was what I needed, Sago."

He looked to, as if he doubted that but wanted to believe it.

I stopped him then, grabbing his shoulders then and looking him in the eyes. "It was, really. Not to mention, something me and Heather have been asking you and Mushra for, for months on end when it came to sparring between us, so hell—I say that makes you progressive in doing that."

That didn't seem to provide him much comfort, so I went on.

"The most important thing, that you have to realize, is that what you did and what you were trying to do worked."

"It did?" he asked, not sounding sure.

I removed my hands, and nodded. "You saw how much better I was doing, fighting. And I gave name to attacks, you heard them. I was able to feel all that potential of power, and control it—I hadn't done that so far!" I gushed, the excitement there again, and it pulled just a bit of a smile from him. "I…when I ran, I went up to the hill. You know, from the kidnapping, there were traces of damage the centipedes left…and I hated looking at it, it was such a reminder… So I got rid of it."

"Got rid of it..? How?"

"I altered it. Using my powers, I burned away the ruined dirt, the slashed trees, the scales left behind, and made that tip of the hill into something new, something…to me that was beautiful, and would never again remind me of that disgusting parasite and what he did. And you need to understand, that most of that was all thanks to you." I finished, hoping he understood. "Sago… Thank you. For helping me feel my strength again, to find my grip on it and myself. I can now control, and learn the length and limits of what I was fearing… What you did, it's something I'll never forget."

It took him a moment, as I stared him down, never breaking eye contact. But he sighed, and I saw the relief wash over. There were still traces of the guilt, but that couldn't be helped. I just needed him to understand that I don't fault him for what he did and I am thankful.

"And just to ease a little more of that guilt, you gotta also understand something we've been sort of conflicted over with all this." I chuckled bit, shaking my head. "Even if we went through hell to get here, this…is something me, Winter, and Heather were always aching to be in our mind, body, and souls. So the more we can accept this, the better we are for it."

"Understood. You don't have to keep trying to pull guilt off, Jaden, at least leave _some_ for the surprise of it all." He stated, smiling a little bigger, and I nodded.

"Alright, alright… Now…I also have to ask…"

He raised a brow.

"When you'd done that, you…said you went through something similar." I began, thinking back trying to let me know he empathized. I couldn't help but wonder, and each brief moment I'd thought on it thus far, the curiosity was grown.

He slowly nodded. "I did."

"You don't have to at all, but… I was just wondering if you…felt like elaborating?"

He considered my question for a moment, looking off into the distance, and…there was something about the look on his face, how it changed…something about him grew smaller, it seemed like. He cleared his throat. "There are other factors that I'd have to explain, for you to understand. And maybe you should know, anyways. But…it's a long story."

 **Me: first off, if anyone wants to see what the characters look like, especially the uniforms described in this chap, just go on deviantArt and look up either JadenTheFangirl, or WarriorEntSavior (the latter is a dA account dedicated to art for this fanfic series).  
Mushra: WHY DID YOU CUT ME OFF, JERK.  
Me: because I can.  
Mushra: and you better have a me focused chap like you're doing next with Sago!  
Me: patience, young one.  
Mushra: *whacks me with his staff*  
Me: dude, why—  
Mushra: because I c-  
Me: HOPE YOU ENJOYED, REVIEW IF YOU LIKED, NEXT CHAP S-*is tackled* **


	8. Ep8-Sago's Story

**Me: before I get into the chapter or even the hot-headed banter, I must give shout out to Crazydream10 from dA. My fellow Sago fan was gracious enough to let me borrow her idea (s) for Sago's back story and alter it a bit to fit my story. Be sure to check her out on deviantArt! She's got great fanart and fiction in the works~  
Mushra: should you really be borrowing? Isn't that illegal in writer world?  
Me: if I ask permission, no, especially if I make sure to pay proper respect and credit to the original owners/developers. Besides, I can't help it—some fan stuff is too good for me not to include, I sort of take it as fanon, especially a lot of Windflame's stuff, she's like a Shinzo Elder to me.  
Mushra: ….nerd. And what the hecks' fanon?  
Me: I will teach you, nerd-noob, but later—readers, enjoy!**

Chapter 8 – Sago's Story 

"I'm willing to listen." I assured Sago as he started walking again and I followed just beside him, barely taking my eyes away. He slowly nodded, and he seemed just slightly reluctant, but his last nod seemed like one of complete agreement. But he continued on walking, in silence, for a little while as I walked and waiting. I realized I wasn't paying attention to where he was taking us until we arrived at a fountain set in a crossroads part of the city.

He took a seat with his eyes on the ground, and I saw down beside him without a word, still patiently waiting.

His shoulders rose with an intake of breath, and then he spoke. "It's…kind of all because of my ability to control me Hyper powers without needing Hyper form for it…really. I had it at a very, very young age. And where I was born; where I lived for only a fragment of my life, my childhood…that wasn't a very good thing, and pushed my family to believe we needed to flee."

I was confused, but I knew he would explain, and I just continued to listen intently.

He shook his head for a moment, sitting up a little straighter as he had been leaning forward; his hands, however, which had come together, were staying clasped. "See, I lived in a well-off situation back then, with my family. Maybe not to full rich status, but we barely wanted for nothing from what I can remember. We lived on the outskirts of Queen Franken's kingdom, just on the rocks by the ocean. We were her subjects, General Franken. She…" he paused, and I saw his lips tighten and his fists clench, nails almost threatening to jab into his skin and I reached to put my hand over his. "You see, she'd been a generally respectable and decent ruler over her domain and her people, her kin. She's strong, never wavering in her power, pride, nor strength or her morals and beliefs. She wanted to ensure she and her kingdom would stay standing strong. She might hold that special sort of superiority her type in power usually do, but not to…that vicious point of wiping out those lesser. Now, she just wanted to keep them separate from her kingdom and her kind."

"Her kind?" I couldn't help but asked, not fully trusting my understanding of what he meant.

He glanced to me. "Water Enterran's, people born in her kingdom and domain to an extent as well, aquatic types of all sorts—any Enterran who found connection and common ground among the waters, really. She felt they were her kin, and there for her subjects."

I nodded, understanding better now, and I nodded a last time for him to continue.

"Anyway. She feels her kingdom should be kept separate for needs of peace and prosperity. Possibly purity as well, I really don't know." He shrugged, looking off ahead. "But because of her need for all of that, she was developing, gathering, and growing her own special army; for various purposes. From the smallest tasks of scouting and recruiting and guarding, to greater tasks like seeking out more land to claim as she felt was hers, to the extremity of possible war. One of her greatest inclinations for a promising recruit, of course, was any sort of indication that they were a powerful Water Enterran. She highly valued which of us that could control Hyper power out of Hyper form. And her recruiting methods…well, let's just say there weren't really volunteer options."

I nodded, understanding that well—hell, that's how it had been back in the day on Earth, to my knowledge. Bodies were needed, and there was little choice. If you were of age and male, and seemed fit enough…

"My parents, noticing more and more my ability, feared the worst. If I was ever caught, recruiters would be at our front door in no time."

"…How old were you during this?" I asked, holding my arms a bit as I'd retracted my hand from his earlier.

He caught my gaze, and it broke my heart, especially when he forced the bitter smile. "A baby, really. Child, eventually. They tried to keep it hidden, but it was harder as I was getting into my toddler years."

"So how do you even remember all of this?"

"Ah—I'll get to that. Let's just say, half was told to me, half was remembered, and the other little bits I gathered over time."

I nodded. "Sorry, continue…" I was almost worried about letting him. Maybe this wasn't the best thing, making him relive this.

But he nodded and went on. "Like I said, it got harder to hide as I got older. They tried to teach me to contain it, but…" he faintly smiled, and I just caught the wave of his hand, and suddenly, a dragon made up of water swirled around me, flying on the air it seemed, "you can't make a child of infancy or toddler nature contain _that_ when they learn they can create it at the slightest of whims."

The water dragon dove back into the fountain from whence I assumed it originated, and Sago's hands settled back together.

"Recruiters were becoming more relentless, not enough fortunate Enterran's like myself in the ranks. It got to a point where we really didn't go anywhere unless needed, and I think even then they were considering moving, before anything really happened. There was one day, apparently… Just a normal day. I had been in the kitchen playing, making a water dragon to show her… M-my mother. My father hadn't noticed, hadn't been in to see, and there was a knock at the door. He answered, of course. It was a recruiter."

I sighed, feeling more and more reluctant to hear the rest, but I would, for him.

"He'd actually been there to speak with my father about my uncle. From what I remember being told at one point, my…uncle had fallen in defense of one of Franken's claimed river-barriers in her domain, and the recruiter was supposedly there to give the news. He ended up inviting himself in, and in the process, he caught what I was doing in the kitchen. My father must of followed in behind him too late. He had to take him down, and ended up carding him. My parents knew, though, his absence wasn't going to go unnoticed, and someone would be sent out way. In a matter of hours, they'd packed us up and we were making our way out of the city.

"My mother insisted on following the trail they'd had planned to follow, which was supposed to lead us unnoticed, out of the city. But my father insisted that we needed to get something from his brothers place first. So they change course. My father had went in first, for whatever it was, and told us to wait in the back yard. Well, he was taking too long, and mother was restless. She was sure she heard something from inside, and she tells me to wait outside as she goes to check on my father. I'm out there for only minutes, and then I hear the crashing. Next thing, my mother comes running out with something cradled in her arms. It was…it was a water dragon."

I was confused and surprised, sitting up a little straighter.

"It was about the length of me at that age, slender and light blue. I remember her shoving it into my arms, and it wrapped around me…almost protectively…" he tells me, and I could hear the thickening in his voice, but he quelled it. Even so, I felt like I knew where this was going, or at least had a pretty good idea.

And the idea suddenly reminded me…of back in Ryuma's palace, in the halls as she and the girls had been running and protecting their adolescent friends, how her friend sitting by her now had cried as a child, about needing to hide, as if he was afraid they couldn't survive. She remembered his complaints.

'My parents tried to escape with me and they failed…. We have to hide, that's what I did, and they never found me.'

"…Back at Ryuma's castle." I interrupted again, and he looked to me surprised at the interruption. I looked him in the eyes. "When we were protecting the three of you; you, Mushra, and Xavier because of the young state you were in, you… you'd saying your parents tried to escape and failed, and that we couldn't fight for our escape, we should hide, because that's what you did… Is this…what you were talking about?"

He was silent for a moment, brief confusion on his face, and I assumed he didn't remember saying anything. But, taking a breath, he nodded, and I nodded in response, and just watched him as I waited for him to continue.

"Now this—this, I remember well. Everything else was fuzzy, or something Mithra told me, or we pieced information together later when I really needed to... The dragon, his name was Mithra." He stated, before continuing. He took a moment, though, taking a deep breath and sitting straight. "But, my mother…she gave him to me, and I remember her words well.  
'You must protect him at all costs, no matter what! You must flee, far and fast, and don't ever return here!' she had said, sounding so panicked and in fear. I had thought she'd been talking to me, telling me to protect the creature she'd just thrown at me. But the dragon nodded its head to my surprise, and she spoke a last time…saying… 'Protect him…he must grow to be something else, just raise him…away from here…so he will not be put into this…life.'"

I couldn't believe this. I literally almost couldn't, if I didn't trust Sago's honesty—if I didn't see every indication of pain and sorrow that made it true. I'd never known, never guessed—well, back then, young main characters never really had parents and if they did, they were barely around; parents hold the characters back. I shook my head, resisting the urge to slap myself. He wasn't a _character_. He never was. He was a man, albeit a man of another species, but a man…a man who had been a boy, torn from his family…

"Then there was a crush behind her." He went on. "I cried out for her, begged for her, but she yells at me to run. I cry one last time, and she yells, and then I'm running, holding the dragon tight to my chest. I ran and ran, on and on…I couldn't really say how long I did. I tried to look back now and again, with the yells and crash and noises echoed, but the dragon never let me for long." Sago released his hands then, and looked around at our surroundings. Suddenly he stood, and I stood with him, wondering if that was the end of it. When he started walking, I just followed with him.

It wasn't until we really got back to walking, before he continued in hushed tones.

"Well, from…from that point on, Mithra raised and cared for me. He couldn't speak aloud like I could, but he understood our language, and…somehow was able to reach to speak in my mind. He taught me as many of the big things as he could and knew to, and all the little things; survival in every form, really. It was a while before I really learned where he came from, as when we first start speaking he only told me he 'belonged' to my uncle." He was telling me, and other than checking my walking path now and again, I kept my gaze towards him. "He confessed to me that my uncle had rescued him, and they'd become friends. My uncle had been hiding him, because they both feared what others would think of finding a creature like him (as, being a dragon so symbolic of half the population of water Enterrans, they were rare). They'd been good friends, my father was the only one to really know of him, or what he was; my uncle spoke of him, but never called him a dragon.

"Mithra promised to protect me; to guide and care for me. And he did, as well as he was able. He found shelter for me in abandoned homes and stuff like that. He always made sure I had a suitable place to sleep. He, uh," Sago laughs, sadly and fondly, "he got me into the habit of collecting coins and jewels at a young age, for any necessities that would need to be bought. It started as just picking up scattered and abandoned jewels and money, but…we were both growing the habit. And it became something to do, something that felt less like just surviving and more like living."

Well, that…gave me a whole new view to his gambling… We passed a family, and I scooted closer to Sago to avoid bumping the kids who had little interest in regarding their surroundings. "S-sorry…"

He shook his head, watching me for a moment with a look I couldn't entirely get, before he continued. "Mithra passed away, once I hit around ten, eleven. He'd been with me five years by then." I couldn't resist, and hooked my arm through his as a way offering comforting embrace without halting his walk. I notice him reach a hand to his jewels on his forehead. "I'd just gotten these, actually. It was a trippy day, and I was living on high. And I come back to an old abandoned shop in an old section of some town, and found him laying curled on the ground, writhing now and again. He confesses he never knew how long or short his lifespan was—he'd been torn from his own family. But even as he was passing, he promised to still watch over. And tells me, that a life alone doesn't have to be sad. He told me I could…travel the world, collect riches!" he laughed. "And…and from that point on, I lived as he'd taught me… Gambling…sleeping in hotels, and gambling again. I was always traveling, I never really stayed in one place for too long, not even with Mithra…too afraid Franken was still looking for me.

"After a while, I forgot that fear, drowning it under the jewels and the coins and the reputation…all the riches, before I'd lose them. But I'd get it back again. It was like that for…a while…before finding Mushra." He smiled small, but fondly, and not as sadly. He was silent for a moment, and I could only imagine the encounter going through his mind right now.

I almost smiled, before he shook his head and looked to me. "But the point. What…what made me understand, just a fragment of what you were feeling, was that after Mithra died, I had been SO scared I would die without anyone. I'd lived a life for so long with that little bit of comfort, and what I thought was my source of strength, and then it was suddenly gone, snuffed out. He had even been teaching me how to use my power that got….that got me where I was then. I didn't understand it, and didn't want to. That talent, that 'gift' took my family away from me, and I was afraid I'd never see them again, if I was even free for much longer to even have a chance to do so. And not understand it beyond my little tricks and games, I feared what I could do with it, or what I couldn't do if I really needed to. I was put to the test, though, one day when I wandered into town. On that day, I crossed some very noticeable water Enterrans, with familiar dressed that I was so sure in that moment were what the recruiters wore. They'd caught me just…toying senselessly with some water, and they came for me. I…can't honestly say if they really meant any malice, but I panicked and ran for it."

No wonder he felt he might empathize… I mean, it wasn't exactly the same, but a lot of what he was saying felt familiar enough…like his life, his comfort and strength, taken. His lack of understanding for a power he had a reason to hate or fear…his fear of using it, and feeling weak because of it.

"They never caught up to me, though, so I guess I was just being paranoid. But, I was, uh…paranoid enough to trip my way into a hidden nest of Hunting Bee-ings, who were never ones to take kind to anything. And in that moment, I had no choice. They were angry, though would have hunt me down, and I was already winded from running. I had to face them. It took getting beat, pushed into running, fighting in fear, but…I overcame them eventually, got a handle on my power. It was the first time I used Aqua Dragon, in that fight…"

His gaze wandered off in the distance of our path, until he just stopped short in his walk and I let go of his arm, staring up at him in silence. I could see the hurt in remembering and reliving it all, but…maybe some sort of relief. I couldn't say whether it was relief in finally having me understand what pushed him to do what he did for me, or maybe it could be…relief in telling that. Not that I doubt he hasn't told anybody, he at least had to have told Mushra, but….something like that still weighs on you, I can only imagine. He rolls his shoulders and shakes his head, taking a deep breath. That's when I saw a tear or two fall from the corner of his eye, racing so quick down his cheek that it left a swiftly drying line of wetness on his pale skin.

I was about to reach out for him when he spoke, with a laugh that surprised me. "I'm sure, even with my warning, you weren't entirely expecting that…whole life story. Hope that wasn't too boring, or….depressing, but at least—"

I heard his brief gasp at my sudden action, but I said nothing. I just continued the embrace that had over took me. My arms wound around what first I could really which, and my first intention was just to hold him and wrap him in my arms, not really thinking for any return action. Though he did return the action, after his brief stunned moment. His arms wrapped up under my arms, which slid up around his neck. I didn't know if it was too far, but judge me if you want (I think it's a weird maternal-even-if-i-have-not-kids thing), I reached my hand to pet his hair a bit. He didn't seem to mind…it even seemed to relax him further.

"Thank you." I told him.

"For what…?"

"Just thank you."

 **Me: and that…was Sago's story. And before you start, Mushra, you will GET YOURS eventually!  
Mushra: hey, I'm just saying-  
Me: yes, you've been saying this entire freaking story until the disclaimer/commentary. Shhh now.  
Mushra: *touches his chest as if offended* so mean.  
Me: *rolls eyes* hope you enjoyed, review if you like, next chapter soon!**


End file.
